


Her Lying Eyes

by MorganStark



Series: Morgan Stark Series [3]
Category: Iron Man (Comics), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Avengers Family, Father-Daughter Relationship, Kidnapping, Parent Tony Stark, Protective Avengers, Tony-centric, Whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-01-31 15:15:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 26,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18593878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MorganStark/pseuds/MorganStark
Summary: Working for S.H.I.E.L.D, Morgan Stark thought she'd seen it all but then Loki appears through a portal to steal the Tesseract. With the whole of Earth in danger, she and her father must team up with the other Avengers to stop Loki and reclaim the Tesseract. Danger is around every corner and not everyone will make it through the battle alive.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The time between Iron Man 2 and Avengers and what happened to Morgan will be explained throughout the story in flashbacks

People were panicking. They scrambled around us, desperate to reach the cars and evacuate. S.H.I.E.L.D men, clad in full armour, directed the frightened researchers and developers around the base towards the evacuating vehicles. A few of them were trying to salvage any research they could, dragging containers full of papers behind them.

I sat and calmly watched the chaos unfolding around me.

I was at the Joint Dark Energy Mission Facility in the Mojave Desert; a secret S.H.I.E.L.D facility where both S.H.I.E.L.D and NASA scientists were studying the Tesseract. I was one of the S.H.I.E.L.D scientists who had been conducting research into the Tesseract and its energy potential.

9 months ago when Nick Fury had approached me in the hospital and offered me a job at S.H.I.E.L.D, I thought he was crazy. I was a 17-year-old, recently paralysed girl. What on earth would S.H.I.E.L.D want with me?

It had taken some time and convincing before I realised I could be a real asset to S.H.I.E.L.D. I had been working for them for 6 months now and part of my role was to study and research the Tesseract alongside Dr. Selvig. I hadn't been at the facility for two weeks now, as I had been away doing other work for S.H.I.E.L.D, but as soon as Selvig had called to tell me what was happening, I flew in immediately.

I was itching to go back down into the research bunker where the Tesseract was being held and find out what was going on, but I had a briefing to do.

The wind whipped my hair around my face as I watched the helicopter slowly descend. The evacuation orders blaring over the speakers could barely be heard over the noise of the helicopter as it carefully landed.

I stood up and walked over to stand beside Agent Coulson.

Agent Hill stepped out of the helicopter first, followed by Director Nick Fury. He was dressed in his usual black leather outfit, which helped to enhance the deadly aura that surrounded him. Despite the fact that he looked incredibly scary and most people in S.H.I.E.L.D feared him, I didn't have that problem. At first I'd been incredibly intimidated by him but that had disappeared very quickly. I respected his authority but I'd never had any qualms about enquiring into his decisions and why he made them. In fact I think he respected people who challenged him and weren't just mindless 'yes' men.

"How bad is it?" he asked as he and Hill stopped before us.

"That's the thing sir, we don't know," Coulson answered.

"Take us down."

As we walked into the building situated above the research facility, I felt Fury's gaze land on me.

"I'm surprised to see you here Stark," he commented as we stepped inside the elevator.

"Dr Selvig called me when the Tesseract started acting up a few hours ago." I looked up at him to see an eyebrow raised. While I was grateful to have a job at S.H.I.E.L.D, I hadn't been quiet when it came to wondering just what S.H.I.E.L.D was going to do with the information we discover about the Tesseract. I regularly asked Fury just what his plans were ad his answer was always the same; its above my clearance level. "One of the many reasons you hired me was so I could help with research into the Tesseract. Dr. Selvig has been sending me all of his research when I've been away. Until a few hours ago we'd never seen a spike in the energy levels. I came here to find out what the hell is going on."

"There was a spike in energy from the Tesseract?" Fury asked. "NASA didn't authorize Selvig to go to test phase."

The elevator doors slid open and the four of us exited. "He wasn't testing it. He wasn't even in the room," Coulson said. "Spontaneous event."

We swiftly walked through the maze beneath the building that led to the research facility. There were still people down here packing up as much research equipment as they could. No one knew exactly what would happen if the Tesseract's energy levels continued to climb or what would happen if they reached a certain level. But based on our research, it wouldn't be pretty.

"How are the energy levels now?"

"Climbing," I said. "When we couldn't shut it down we ordered an evac." As I walked beside Agent Hill, I resisted the urge to rearrange my catsuit. I still wasn't completely comfortable in the skin-tight suit, which resembled Agent Hill's and Natasha's. While I still didn't like that it showed every lump and bump, I loved the feeling I got when I put it on. For some reason I instantly felt stronger and more powerful, like I could take on anyone. The combat boots I wore and gun strapped to my thigh definitely helped too.

"How long to get everyone out?"

"The campus should be clear in the next half-hour," Coulson replied.

"Do better," Fury ordered.

Coulson nodded and spun around to go back upstairs.

I watched him retreat before following Hill and Fury down a spiralling staircase, going deeper underground.

"Sir, evacuation may be futile," Hill said. "If we can't control the Tesseract's energy, there may not be a minimum safe distance."

"She's right sir," I added. "Our research shows no indications as to the consequences that could occur if the power exceeds its current levels."

Fury showed no indications he'd heard either of us. "Hill, I need you to make sure the Phase 2 phototypes are shipped out."

Hill stopped in her tracks as she looked at him incredulously. "Sir, is that really a priority right now?"

Fury turned around to stare down at Hill. "Until such time as the world ends, we will act as though it intends to spin on," he said, his tone more sharp and commanding. "Clear out the tech below. Every piece of Phase 2 on a truck and gone."

I saw Hill clench her jaw out of the corner of my eye. I wanted to ask Fury what Phase 2 was but I knew I would just be told it's above my clearance level. It has to involve the Tesseract in some way. That's why I had such mixed feelings about working for S.H.I.E.L.D on the Tesseract. I'd been told the research being done on it was purely for knowledge sake, but I wasn't naïve enough to believe that was it. I had a feeling Fury had other plans for the Tesseract, I just didn't know what they were. Yet.

"Yes, sir." Agent Hill all but stalked off.

"Stark," Fury said, drawing my attention back to him.

"Yes sir?"

"Follow me."

I nodded and followed him into the research facility. It was a vast room with an enormous dome shaped ceiling. The back of the room was taken up with rows of equipment and monitors while in the centre of the room was the Tesseract. It was being held in a container I designed to measure its energy and, hopefully, contain it if needed.

"You two," Fury said as we entered the room. He motioned to myself and Dr Selvig. "Talk to me."

"Director." Selvig nervously made his way over to us. He wasn't usually anxious around Fury, surprisingly, so the fact that he was now told me that things were going downhill fast.

Over the past few months I had been enjoying working with Selvig. Our communication had been mostly over emails and phone calls but I always loved the chances I got to work with him on the campus. He is a brilliant astrophysicist and I had learnt so much from him in just a few short months. In between our experiments I'd told him all about Iron Man and he'd described his encounter with Thor in New Mexico. I'd seen all the coverage on the news when it had happened, and even heard some stories from other S.H.I.E.L.D agents, but hearing the whole story from someone who had been there and been a part of it was amazing.

"Is there anything we know for certain?" Fury asked.

"The Tesseract is misbehaving," Selvig stated.

"Is that suppose to be funny?"

"No, it's not funny at all."

"Sir, the Tesseract is not only active, she's behaving," I said. We walked over to the Tesseract, encased in its container. The cube, with its swirling blue glow, was almost mesmerizing.

"I'm assuming you've pulled the plug?" Fury asked.

"She's an energy source," Selvig explained. "We turn off the power, she turns it back on. If she reaches peak level…"

"We prepared for this Doctor. Harnessing energy from space."

"But we don't have the harness." Selvig moved to stand in front of his computer, bringing up the most recent set of results.

"Stark, you said the container you built could contain the energy if it peaks?"

"I said it might contain the energy if it peaks," I said, placing heavy emphasis on the word might. I did not want Fury thinking I had guaranteed him anything. "We are literally dealing with an alien object. I can't give you guarantees about anything to do with the Tesseract. It might contain the energy, it might slow down the energy peaks, it might do nothing at all."

"Fantastic," Fury mumbled. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Our calculations are far from complete," Selvig said. "And now she's throwing of interference, radiation. Nothing harmful, low levels of gamma radiation."

Fury raised his eyebrows as he stared at Selvig. "That can be harmful." I think everyone in the room knew exactly how harmful gamma radiation could be. "Where's Agent Barton?"

"The Hawk? Up in his nest as usual." Selvig pointed up to the small platform situated above the room where Barton was perched.

"Agent Barton, report." Within a minute Barton had slid down from the platform and was standing before us. "I gave you this detail so you could keep a close eye on things."

"Well I see better from a distance," Barton replied.

One of the researchers motioned for Selvig urgently and he immediately rushed over. I was about to following him, concerned about what might be happening, when Fury spoke again.

"Stark, have you seen anything that might set this thing off?" He moved to stand directly in front of the Tesseract.

I shook my head. "Nothing."

"No one's come or gone. And Selvig's clean. No contacts, no IMs," Barton said.

As I stared down at the swirling blue object, a horrible and concerning thought that had been brewing at the back of my mind suddenly came to the forefront. "If something is causing these energy surges, it's not coming from this end," I said.

"This end?" Fury inquired.

"It's been hypothesized that the Tesseract's energy could be manipulated to form a portal through space, like a door. Doors open from both sides. If we're not the ones causing the power surges, then someone on the other side is." I watched both of their facial expressions change as that thought sunk in. The idea that someone, or something for that matter, could be controlling the Tesseract's energy from anywhere in the entire universe was truly frightening. The more frightening thought was what would happen if this person or thing was hostile. If they knew how to correctly wield the energy from the Tesseract, the power they would have would be immense.

As we all looked down at the Tesseract and tried to comprehend the horrors that could unfold, the swirling inside the object suddenly intensified. The glow grew brighter and brighter until the whole room was bathed in blue.

"What's going on?" Fury yelled over the humming noises being emitted from the Tesseract.

"The energy is surging again!" I yelled back. "But we haven't seen it like this before!"

We all took 5 steps back. As the energy coming from the Tesseract kept on climbing the ground and roof began to shake. Suddenly a surge of energy shot out from the Tesseract. A huge circular wall of blue energy formed at the end of the room. As the circle enlarged, its centre cleared up, and just for just a moment thousands of stars could be seen through the circle.

"Holy shit," I whispered to myself. This was it. Whoever was using the energy had just created a portal. The galaxy of stars were at their end, and they were about to come through to our end. "Guns at the ready!" I shouted. It was too risky to assume whoever was about to come through would be friendly.

Fury looked momentarily shocked at me shouting an order at him, but thankfully he nodded in agreement. All the agents in the room unholstered their weapons and had them trained on the energy in seconds. I pulled out my own gun, a Glock 19, and held it up with a steady hand. My heart was pumping wildly as I waited to see just what the hell we were about to see come through the portal.

The wall of energy stopped expanding. Seconds passed when suddenly the energy shrunk into a ball before shooting out across the room and evaporating. The bright blue light temporarily blinded everyone in the room. When the light faded, we all instantly realised there was someone new in the room.

Crouched at the end of the catwalk where the ball of energy had been focused was a man. As he slowly stood, a team of security guards surged forward with their guns aimed at him. He was dressed in odd green robes and had stringy black hair that fell to his shoulders. He slowly looked up to survey the room and the smile that was on his face could only be described as deranged. The most concerning thing about his sudden appearance was the large sceptre in his hand. At the top of the sceptre was a blade. Encased near the blade was a small circular object that glowed brightly. I had no doubt that the energy signature coming from the object would be similar, if not the same, as the energy from the Tesseract.

"Sir, please put down the spear," Fury shouted to the man.

The man looked down at the sceptre in his grasp. When he looked back up there was a deadly grin on his face. He pulled back the sceptre and shot a ball of blue energy towards where Fury and I were standing. Without thinking I leapt towards Fury and tackled him to the ground. I could feel the heat on my back as the ball of energy just missed us.

We landed hard on the ground. Despite the fact that I had just saved his life, it was still extremely awkward to be on top of your boss. I rolled off instantly and crouched down behind the small computer station positioned in front of the Tesseract. I peered around the station to see that the man had already attacked and killed 2 of the security guards. The remaining 2 guards were firing madly at him but the bullets seem to just deflect off his chest. The man pulled out 2 small blades and sent them flying into the guards necks.

Barton, who had crouched behind a nearby desk, began shooting at him. He responded by firing another ball of energy. Barton managed to roll out of the path of the shot but as he stumbled to his feet, the man was already there.

I raised my gun, knowing my bullets wouldn't make a difference but I hoped they'd at least distract him. Before I could fire, Fury had placed his hand on the barrel and pushed it down. He shook his head. I wanted to question just what the hell he was thinking but as I looked up, I saw it was too late as the man touched the tip of the sceptre to Barton's chest. Even from this distance I could see a swirl of blue energy travel from the sceptre into his chest. A second later his eyes darkened before glowing a brilliant blue. As I wondered what the hell had just happened and why the man hadn't shoved the blade into Barton's chest, I got my answer as Barton holstered his weapon and stood to attention in front of the man.

"What the hell?" I said quietly.

The idea of mind control sounded ridiculous but that was no doubt what was happening here. Somehow this man was able to manipulate Barton using just the energy from the object in his sceptre.

"Stark," Fury hissed. He was crouching down beside me and thankfully we were still partially hidden from view by the computer station. "We need to get the Tesseract out of here."

I hated the idea of just grabbing the Tesseract and running but I knew it was necessary. This man was obviously here for the Tesseract and if he got his hands on it the consequences would be deadly. While the man was distracted and putting more people under his control, I quickly crawled the short distance to the Tesseract. I pulled out the briefcase I had designed to contain it and slipped on the gloves to handle it. Delicately and trying not to draw attention to myself, I pulled out the Tesseract and slipped it into the case. I was pulling of the gloves when something caught my eye.

Up in the domed portion of the ceiling was a swirling blue mass of energy liberated from the Tesseract. It was growing by the second and already destroying parts of the roof. We had to get out of there. This energy would be able to destroy the whole campus within minutes.

I shut the briefcase and slowly rose to my feet. I'd barely taken 2 steps when the man spoke.

"Please don't." I turned around to see him staring straight at me. His gaze sent shivers down my spine. Up close I could see how haggard he looked. He was extremely pale and there were dark bags under his eyes. I wondered what he had gone through before he'd arrived through the portal. "I still need that."

"This doesn't have to get any messier," Fury said as he moved to stand beside me.

"Of course it does. I've come too far for anything else. I am Loki, of Asgard. And I am burdened with glorious purpose."

The name instantly registered in my mind. After Thor and the events in New Mexico, I'd done some reading into Norse mythology. While there are many legends and different tellings of the stories, in most of them Loki had been a merciless and cruel God. We were in serious trouble if he is anything like the stories portrayed him to be.

"Loki? Brother of Thor?" Selvig, who had been tending to a colleague knocked down by a blast, gazed up at him in wonder.

The man, Loki, did not look happy to be reminded of his brother.

"We have no quarrel with your people," Fury said.

"An ant has no quarrel with a boot."

"Are you planning on stepping on us?"

With every passing second, the blue glow filling the room was increasing. The minutes were ticking down and we needed to get the hell out of there. My hand was still gripping the briefcase tightly. My other hand was resting lightly on my gun in its holster. Despite the fact that the people under Loki's control were my colleagues and friends, I knew if it came down to it I would have to shoot them to protect the Tesseract.  
That was one of the first lessons they taught you at S.H.I.E.L.D. If the lives of many were at risk, you better be prepared to sacrifice yourself. It was something I had accepted, and I would gladly give up my life if it meant saving others. But I had never considered the idea that I would have to hurt other S.H.I.E.L.D agents to protect the world.

"I come with glad tidings. Of a world made free."

"Free from what?" I questioned.

"Freedom," he answered. There was a murderous glint in his eyes as he stalked towards Selvig. "Freedom is life's great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart, you will know peace."

As he turned around to place to sceptre on Selvig's chest and put him under his control, I spun around and ran for the closest exit. We were running out of time.

The sound of shots being fired filled the room. I couldn't risk turning around to see if Fury or Barton were the one's firing. My heart was pumping madly as I ran, half expecting a bullet to hit me at any second. I made it out the door and into the concrete maze that eventually led up to the surface. The briefcase handle was cutting into my palm as I clutched it tightly. I could hear heavy footsteps trailing behind me. I pushed myself harder, determined not to let the Tesseract fall into Loki's hands.

I wondered where Fury was. Had Loki killed him, or placed him under his control? Should I have tried to warn him about my plan? I didn't think I could risk trying to signal to him what I was going to do. I knew Fury could handle himself but I still worried about leaving him in a room full of people under someone's control.

I rounded a corner and saw the elevator on the other side of the room. My joy at the thought that I was so close to reaching the surface and escaping was short lived. A shot echoed through the room and a second later I felt a piercing, sharp pain hit my upper right shoulder. The force of the impact sent me spiralling forward. The briefcase fell from my grasp as I instinctively held out my hands to break my fall. My wrists stung from the impact and my forehead smashed against the ground, causing my vision to instantly blur.

My first thought was 'thank God for kevlar'. While the shot still hurt like a bitch and would definitely leave a bruise, it would have been a lot worse if I wasn't wearing kevlar. My second thought was that even though I couldn't see straight, I needed to arm myself. I was too dizzy to even try and stand so while I was still lying on my stomach, I reached down to grab my gun from the holster on my thigh. A foot was suddenly on my hand, preventing me from reaching my gun.

I raised my head and, through the fog still clouding my vision, looked up to see Agent Barton pointing his gun at my head. His face was completely blank, showing no emotion whatsoever. I waited for him to pull the trigger and sent the bullet that would end my life straight into my head.

A shot was fired, but it wasn't the one I was expecting. Barton fell to the ground as a bullet hit his chest. Like myself, he was wearing Kevlar so the bullet hadn't killed him. He scrambled to his feet and I attempted to do the same. A wave of dizziness hit me but I steadied myself and pulled out my gun.

When I looked up I saw it was almost too late. Loki and all the men under his control were already in the elevator. Barton, who had snatched up the briefcase, was running to join them. I raised my gun and took aim but my finger hovered over the trigger. A second passed and it was too late. The elevator doors slid shut and Loki's grinning face disappeared.

"What was that?"

I spun around, regretting the movement instantly as my head spun too. Fury was stalking towards me, gun in hand. I guess I had him to thank for shooting Barton and saving my life.

I knew he was referencing my hesitation in shooting Barton. I was saved from answering when the ground beneath us shook violently.

"We gotta go," I said. Keeping a tight grip on my gun, I ran for the stairs with Fury closely following. I was forced to grip the handrail numerous times as the ground continued to shake. I heard Fury warning Hill over the radio that Barton was compromised.

We emerged in the lobby of a deserted building. I breathed out a sigh of relief when I saw that the helicopter was still there. We only had seconds left though. The ground was shaking so violently that cracks were beginning to form.

As I ran outside I couldn't see anyone so I hoped that everyone had successfully made it off the campus. I dived into the helicopter, quickly followed by Fury. We lifted off from the ground not a moment too soon. I watched as the cracks in the ground continued to expand.

There was a loud blast and suddenly the ground began to sink. The buildings crumbled and the sink hole grew. Within a matter of seconds there was nothing left of the campus. My heart was pumping insanely. Where was Coulson and Hill? And more importantly, where was Barton and the Tesseract?

Fury's radio crackled to life and Hill informed him that Barton and Loki had escaped using one of S.H.I.E.L.D's vehicles.

"Patrol the perimeter," Fury ordered the pilot.

We flew around the edges of the destroyed campus, monitoring all of the roads in and out.

"There!" I shouted as I spotted one of S.H.I.E.L.D's vehicles speeding down the road. Perched in the back of the car, still with the sceptre in his hand, was Loki. When they realised that they'd been spotted, they veered off the road.

Fury slid the door to the helicopter open and drew his gun. I followed his lead and we opened fired on Loki, who responded by using his sceptre to shoot at the helicopter. The shot hit the tail of the helicopter and it immediately began to spin out of control.

"Jump!" Fury yelled.

We were only 20 feet above the ground so luckily the fall didn't do anything but cause shooting pains in my ankles. The helicopter crashed into the field behind us a moment later. Fury immediately got to his feet and fired on the truck but it had already disappeared into the night. I ran over to help the helicopter pilot escape from the burning wreckage.

"What the hell was that back there?" Fury shouted.

"I hesitated, okay? I'm sorry that I thought twice about shooting my colleague and friend!"

"And now he's gotten away with the Tesseract. If you're going to work for S.H.I.E.L.D I need to know that I can trust your judgement."

"And I need to know that I can trust yours!" I retaliated. I'm sure standing in a dark field with a burning helicopter was not the right place to have this conversation but we were going to have it. "Why did you stop me back in the facility? I had a shot and you stopped me from taking it."

"Bullets were not going to stop Loki."

"But that didn't stop you from trying just then. I could have distracted him back there. For all we knew, he was going to kill Barton, not put him under his control."

"Director Fury, do you copy?" The sound of Agent Coulson's voice echoed through the empty field, coming from the radio in Fury's hand.

Fury looked pleased that our conversation had been interrupted. But I wasn't about to let this go. We would be talking about this again later. "The Tesseract is with a hostile force. I have men down. Hill?"

"A lot of men are still under," Hill said over her radio. "I don't know how many survivors."

"Sound a general call. I want every living soul not working rescue looking for that briefcase. Coulson, get back to base. This is a level Seven. As of right now, we are at war."

A level seven. That was serious. And it could only mean one thing. "It's time?" I asked.

Fury looked me in the eye and nodded. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," I said firmly. I had been preparing for this, and I was ready. "I'll let him know."


	2. Chapter 2

It was well past 3 in the morning before I walked through the door and arrived home. I was so glad to be back in familiar surroundings but it wouldn't last long, as tomorrow (more like today) I was heading to New York. I tried not to think about that, and the conversation I would need to have with dad.

"Hey baby."

My face broke out into an involuntary grin as I saw Daniel walking down the hallway.

"What are you doing up?" I asked.

"Waiting for you." He pulled me into a hug and I melted into his chest. I never got sick of feeling his arms wrapped around me. I stood up on my toes and planted a kiss on him.

He eyed me up and down as he stepped back. "Have I told you how hot you look in that catsuit?"

"Yes you have, you big perve."

He grinned. "Go change. I've got some pizza heating up."

"God I love you." I picked up my bag and made my way to the bedroom.

"Are you talking about me or the pizza?"

"Both!" I yelled down the hall.

As I practically peeled the catsuit off my skin, I couldn't control the smile on my face. I couldn't believe how much my life had changed in just 9 months. I had to pinch myself sometimes to prove that I wasn't dreaming.

Daniel and I had been together ever since we had met again at the expo. It was hard to believe the cute doctor who had taken care of me after Obadiah's attack was now the love of my life. We'd been too nervous to ask each other out all of those years ago but when we met again at the expo, we knew it was fate and didn't let each other slip away again.

We had been through so much together in just a few months but we'd always been there for each other. He'd supported me and never gave up after everything that occurred after the expo. Even when I had given up on myself, he never did. He was there after the surgery, attended every rehab session with me and put up with all my swearing and moaning.

Since the start he'd been supportive of me joining S.H.I.E.L.D. Of course he was concerned for me but he knew how much it meant to me to be doing something positive and making a difference. Unfortunately working for S.H.I.E.L.D meant I was away a lot but we made it work.

"How long have we been living together?" I shouted to the kitchen.

"4 months," he yelled back.

I pulled on my favourite pair of pink pyjamas and walked to the kitchen. "4 months later and you still can't remember to not leave your wet towel on the bed."

"Whoops." He slyly grinned at me. "Please forgive me," he said as he presented a plate of pizza.

"You know I can't be angry when there's pizza in the room." I gratefully accepted the plate and we moved into the living room to relax on the couch. While the last house I had lived in had been a hillside mansion, both Daniel and I had agreed that we wanted something more low-key. Together we'd purchased a modest 3 bedroom house in Santa Monica. Some might say we were moving too fast, having been together for less than a year, but we didn't want to waste any of our time together. We both knew we had found the one, so why waste time?

Dad hadn't been thrilled when I had announced that I was going to live with him. It had taken him a few months to just warm up to the idea of Daniel being my boyfriend, then he had to quickly get use to the idea of Daniel being my boyfriend who I lived with. Dad didn't have anything against Daniel, he was just being protective of his only child. Plus, with everything that had happened over the past 2 years I think he was worried that he wouldn't be able to protect me or that he was 'losing me'.

In order to ease his worries I'd promised that I'd visit him at home all the time. I'd also told him he could pop in and visit us anytime, which he'd obviously taken seriously as he came over for dinner at least 3 times a week whenever he wasn't in New York. And whenever he was here he'd always drop "little" hints about how empty the house was without me there. I think he was trying to make me feel guilty but I'd stopped feeling that a long time ago. Besides, he wasn't all alone in that big house anymore since he and Pepper has started dating. I love that they'd finally confessed what I'd known for a very long time. They were perfect for each other, although sometimes I had no idea how Pepper could put up with him.

"So what had you rushing out of here this afternoon?" Daniel asked in between mouthfuls of pizza.

"You know that object I told you about?"

"You mean kind of told me about," he corrected.

I pouted at him. "I told you all I could. I probably told you too much. If S.H.I.E.L.D found out I'd even mentioned it to you they'd probably send another agent to kill me. Literally," I mumbled the last part under my breath. "I went to do some more research on this object. Things went haywire and it was stolen. We have to get it back or there will be serious consequences. I can't even begin to describe the terrifying things that will happen if we don't get it back."

"Who stole it?"

"That's classified."

"You said things went haywire when this person stole this object. What happened? Are you okay?"

"Okay, don't freak out but I got shot in the back. I'm okay!" I quickly added when I saw the look on his face. "My vest caught it."

"Christ, that's still got to hurt. Show me." I lifted up the back of my shirt to show him the bruise already blossoming on my shoulder. His fingers lightly skimmed over my skin as he inspected it.

"See? I'm fine," I said, pulling my shirt back down.

"How did this happen?"

"It's-"

"Classified?" he said.

"I was going to say it's a long story, but yeah, that too." I could see a look in his eyes, one I'd caught before. "Look, you know I hate that I can't talk to you about my day like any other person. I wish I could tell you more, I do. But I'm not just keeping these things secret to protect S.H.I.E.L.D, I'm doing it to protect you. I know it's a cliché, but the less you know, the better. I don't want someone hurting you because you know something you shouldn't."

His expression softened. "I know you're protecting me. I get it, but who's protecting you?"

"I can take care of myself. You've seen me in action." I grinned as I winked at him.

He laughed. "Yes I have. So how do you plan on getting this thing back?"

"Because it's so valuable we need to put everything we have into getting it back. I'm going to New York tomorrow to talk to dad about getting his help."

"Are you guys putting the team together?"

I put my head in my hands. "Oh God, I've told you way too much." I sighed before nodding. "Yes, Fury wants to put the team together. God knows if this is even going to work out. My dad doesn't exactly play well in a team and I've never met most of the others." I put my empty plate on the coffee table and cuddled up to Daniel, resting my head on his chest.

"Are you going to tell your dad your real role in S.H.I.E.L.D when you see him?" he asked.

I let out a huff of laughter. "No. He'll kill me if he knew."

"He's going to find out eventually."

"I know." I sighed and sat up to stare at him. "You've seen how protective my dad is. If he knew what I was really doing, he'd be furious. Even after the Expo he still thinks he can protect me. I want him to believe that I'm just working behind a desk at S.H.I.E.L.D for a little longer."

"The longer you leave it, the worse it gets."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Shut up and kiss me."


	3. Chapter 3

"The Avengers. Seriously, who came up with this name?" I asked myself.

I looked down at the tablet in my hand, reviewing the files. I wondered if Coulson came up with the name. He'd been very enthusiastic about everything to do with getting the team together, probably because he was fascinated by a certain star spangled member. You could practically see the man's eyes light up whenever the captain was mentioned.

"Good evening Miss Stark."

I looked up to the security camera in the corner of the elevator as I entered. "Evening Jarvis. Take me straight up please." I loved the fact that dad had installed Jarvis everywhere, even in the Stark tower elevator.

I was extremely proud of dad, and Pepper, for creating this tower, especially in such a short space of time. The ability to power this tower, and everything in it, using an arc reactor is a huge step forward in the world's search for alternative energy sources. And this tower was just the first of many.

Pepper and dad first came up with the idea of the tower when I was in hospital. They had been waiting around so much for tests and results and all they could do is talk.

I tried not to think too much about that time in my life. It was hard to relieve memories that made me feel powerless, like I'd felt in that bed. But one of the worst times of my life was also one of the best. It was sitting helpless in that bed that I'd been offered a job at S.H.I.E.L.D and started my relationship with Daniel. The best things in my life had come into my life at the worst time and I could remember every second of it.

* * *

_It was nearing midnight and my eyes were slowly starting to become harder to keep open. I'd finally convinced dad to return to his hotel room for the night, but not before he promised to be back here first thing in the morning. I appreciated him wanting to be here for me, but honestly it just feels like he's watching my legs, waiting for them to move again. Time was slowly but surely ticking away. Time for him to face reality._

_I'd gotten dad to lift the blinds on the window before he left. I love looking out on the enormous sky scrapers and letting the neon lights and traffic sounds fill the room. It reminds me that I'm not alone. That there are a million other people out there, each facing their own challenges, but still getting up each day to face the world. If they all could, than so could I._

_My eyes had just fluttered close when there was a soft, but steady knock on the door. I wondered if it was dad returning but he would have just barged straight on in._

_"Yes?" I called out._

_The door slowly swung open and into the room stepped Natalie. Correction, Natasha. And boy she certainly looked different from the last time I'd seen her. Instead of the skin tight, brightly coloured dresses and high heels, she was now wearing a black catsuit. There was a belt strapped around her waist, a gun halter on her thigh and two bracelets on her wrists, which I'm guessing wasn't just for fashion. She looked deadly. And I was instantly jealous._

_I'd always wanted to be that girl. The one who doesn't need anything from anyone, the girl who knows how to handle herself in a fight, who doesn't need a man to hold her hand or tell her she's beautiful. I could never be that girl as hard as I tried, and here Natasha was, standing in front of me and making it look effortless._

_"Well this is a different look," I said casually as she entered the room and stood at the foot of my bed. "You should have worn this to the office."_

_She gave me a thin smile as she crossed her arms across her chest. "How are you feeling Miss Stark?"_

_"Well, see I would tell you but I'm afraid you're going to go running back to S.H.I.E.L.D and tell them everything I tell you," I said, sarcasm lacing my tone._

_"I see your father has told you everything," she replied smoothly._

_"Yes, he has."_

_She nodded before she made a gesture towards the door and took a step back from the bed. I heard the 'clack' of strong boots against the floor before I looked over and saw someone standing in the doorway. He was tall, dark and scary as hell._

_Despite having never met him, I recognised him instantly from the eyepatch. Dad had described him to me after their first meeting following the Obadiah incident. This was not a man you would easily forget._

_"Miss Stark, I'm Nick-"_

_"Fury," I finished for him. "I know. What do you want Mr. Fury?" Somehow I doubt the director of S.H.I.E.L.D was popping by at midnight for just a quick chat._

_He stepped up to my bedside and I have to admit, he was intimidating as hell._

_"Miss Stark, I have a proposal for you."_

_"And what's that?"_

_"I would like to offer you a job at S.H.I.E.L.D," Fury said._

_I tried to control the look of shock that immediately went across my face. That had been the last thing I had expected him to say._

_"And why would S.H.I.E.L.D want me?"_

_"S.H.I.E.L.D is always on the lookout for smart, resourceful people to recruit," Natasha said._

_"So you want to recruit and train me? For what?" I couldn't see myself sitting behind a desk at S.H.I.E.L.D and the idea of prancing around in Natasha's catsuit didn't fill me with glee. So what the hell did they want me for?_

_"I have a few jobs in mind for you Miss Stark."_

_"Ok, well that sounds great but unfortunately I'm going to have to decline. Don't know if anyone's told you but my legs have kind of stopped working for the foreseeable future so you might want to go start recruiting elsewhere." Even in the presence of someone as formidable as Fury, I couldn't stop the bitter sarcasm from coming out of my mouth._

_"S.H.I.E.L.D can help you with that," Fury said._

_I frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"_

_"S.H.I.E.L.D isn't just a counter-terrorism and intelligence agency. We also conduct research and development in a number of sectors, including the medical field. Our scientists have recently developed a prototype biostimulant chip which, when implanted into the spine, will reverse paralysis."_

_The room lapsed into silence. The noises of the machines surrounding the bed were the only sounds. I sat in shock, trying to process everything I had just been told. It just seemed too good to be true. I get in an accident that paralyses me and all of a sudden S.H.I.E.L.D has a miracle chip that can reverse paralysis?_

_"You're kidding right?"_

_"I can assure you I am not." Fury looked like the last man of earth who would ever kid about anything._

_"Where are the strings?" I asked._

_Fury frowned. "Excuse me?"_

_"What are the strings attached to this offer? Nothing comes for free." I was more than aware that everything in this world came with a cost. I just had to make sure Fury's cost was something I was willing to pay before I accepted his offer._

_"No strings," he assured me. "There is currently only one working chip which needs to be implanted and tested before more can be produced."_

_"Oh so I'd be your guinea pig?"_

_"Yes." I appreciated his honesty._

_"Okay, so I get this chip implanted in me, hopefully it works and I walk again, and then I go work for S.H.I.E.L.D?"_

_"If you accept my offer, then yes."_

_"And what if I don't want to work for S.H.I.E.L.D? Does the chip offer disappear if I don't accept your job offer?"_

_"No. The offer for the prototype bio-chip stands on its own. You can take the chip, walk again and continue on with your life. Or you can come work for S.H.I.E.L.D. The offer is there."_

_A sat for a few moments and mulled over his words. I would feel indebted to go work for S.H.I.E.L.D if I accepted their bio-chip and it worked, despite Fury's assurances that the chip and working for him would not go hand in hand. But at this point, I didn't care what strings, invisible or not, were attached to the chip. All I knew is that I wanted to walk again, no matter the cost._

_"I still don't understand what S.H.I.E.L.D would want me for?" I was still a kid, not even 18 years old. Sure, I'm smart, but there are a lot of smart people out there. Why me?_

_Natasha stepped forward to stand beside Fury. "When I was watching over-"_

_"Spying on," I corrected._

_"your father," she continued as if I hadn't spoken. "I was also watching you."_

_"Creepy," I said._

_"You're smart, young, physically fit, creative, brave."_

_"Why if I didn't know any better I'd swear yall are hitting on me," I joked in a thick Southern drawl. I swear I saw the corner of Fury's mouth tug slightly._

_Natasha rolled her eyes but continued on. "You have all of the attributes S.H.I.E.L.D values in its employees. You underestimate yourself Morgan. You can do so much more than what you think you can." I wanted to remind her she'd barely known me for a month but I felt her words hitting home. I did have a yearning to do more, be more. Maybe this was it?_

_"Look, thank you but this is a lot to think about. And I'd need to know more about the chip before I'd agree to anything. "_

_"Of course. I'll send you all the research and information on the prototype S.H.I.E.L.D has conducted." Fury pulled a card out of the breast pocket of his long black coat. "Take all the time you need to think about it." He passed me the card, which was simply a white piece of paper with a phone number typed on it. Nothing else. When I looked up, the room was empty._

_I was physically exhausted but my mind was racing. My hopes were already soaring, despite the fact that I knew the chip was experimental. There was a chance they would implant it in my spine only to discover it doesn't work. But that was a chance I would have to take. I couldn't pass this opportunity up. Now I just had to convince dad that this was the best option._


	4. Chapter 4

The sound of Jarvis's voice pulled me from my memories. "I'm sorry Miss Stark but Mr Stark has restricted all access to the top level."

Although this was my first visit to the Stark tower, I hadn't expected to be restricted in a building that had my name on it. "Call him. Don't tell him it's me, just say it's a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent."

"Call declined."

"Try again," I insisted. I could just get Jarvis to tell him it was me trying to enter but sometimes it was fun to do things the hard way.

"Call declined."

I smirked. Okay, hard way it is. But even the hard way was pretty easy. Luckily for me, after working with my father for so long, I knew his computer skills and techniques better than he did. All it took was a little hacking and overriding on the elevator display screen. Within a minute I was being whizzed up to the top level.

The elevator chimed and the doors slid open to reveal Pepper and dad sitting on the floor, toasting with their champagne glasses in the air.

"Morgan!" Pepper said with glee as she rose to stand. "Why didn't you say it was you?"

"I wanted to surprise you."

"'Morgan?' Uh, her first name is agent now," dad said accusingly as he stood.

"Yes it is," I replied with a proud tone, trying to get a rise out of him. As usual, I watched dad's eyes track my every movement as I stepped into the room. He watched my feet, my gait, everything. It was like he was expecting me to suddenly collapse and be paralysed again. After 9 months I would have thought he would have gotten over it but obviously it was an experience that was going to scar and haunt him for the rest of his life.

"Grab a glass," Pepper said. She slipped a glass filled with champagne into my free hand. "We're celebrating."

"Just because my daughter now works for S.H.I.E.L.D does not mean she can start drinking underage." Dad immediately removed the glass from my hand.

"That's alright, I can't stay long. I just need you to look this over as soon as possible." I extended the tablet to dad and after a moment's hesitation he took it.

"In the future agent, official S.H.I.E.L.D consulting hours are between 8 and 5 every other Thursday."

"This isn't a consultation. It's an invitation."

"Is this about The Avengers? Which I know nothing about," Pepper hastily added.

"The Avengers initiative was scrapped, I thought. And I didn't even qualify." Dad walked over to his bench as he opened up the tablet.

"I didn't know that either," Pepper insisted.

"Apparently I'm volatile, self-obsessed, don't play well with others."

"That I did know."

I rolled my eyes. "I think everyone knows that. But this isn't about personality profiles anymore." Dad typed away on the tablet before opening up the files and bringing them up on holograms surrounding the desk.  
I watched Peppers jaw drop as she looked at the holograms displaying the selected members of The Avengers initiative. The videos being played showed a raging Hulk destroying Harlem, Captain America giving orders to his commandos, the aftermath of Thor's battle in New Mexico and Barton and Natasha fighting side by side in the infamous Budapest battle. The holograms displayed information on each of the members but the most important information was on the centre screen. It showed everything we knew about Loki, selected information about the Tesseract and even showed security footage of the destruction of the campus.

"Were you here when this happened?" Dad asked as he watched the campus crumble in on itself.

"No. Why would I be?" I walked over to join him at his desk and I could see the doubt in his eyes.

 _This is it_ , I thought. Just tell him now and get the argument over and done with. I opened my mouth, ready to confess what I really did at S.H.I.E.L.D.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm a research analyst, I sit behind a desk in an office in LA." The words had poured out of my mouth before I had even realised what I was saying.

I absolutely hated lying to my father but I wasn't quite ready to tell him. I knew it was inevitable that he would eventually discover the truth. Bringing him in meant he would definitely find out the truth, and soon, but I just couldn't bring myself to tell him. The words always got stuck in my throat. I told myself I just needed more time to word the conversation out in my head before I had it. When the time comes I wanted to make sure he understood just how much this meant to me.

He seemed to believe my lie as he left the subject alone and turned back to the screens. His eyes scanned through all the information about the Tesseract and its abductor in seconds. "So this Loki guy, who's basically an alien, created a portal using the Tesseract and then stole it but not before placing a bunch of people under mind control?"

"That's about the gist of it," I said while Pepper mumbled her disbelief. "S.H.I.E.L.D wants you in on this as soon as possible. Look over all of this tonight and call me tomorrow."

While he was displaying only a casual interest I knew he was enthralled. This was exactly the kind of thing he would be interested in. A stolen object, spies and aliens. He was loving this and it hadn't even really begun yet.

"You're not going to stay?" Pepper asked.

"No, I have a flight to catch." I gave her a quick hug before retreating to the elevator. Dad waved a quick goodbye but he was too absorbed in the files to even look away. I smirked to myself as the doors slid shut. Recruiting dad had been as easy a taking candy from a baby. I only hoped Fury and Natasha had been just as successful.

* * *

"Please, just be careful. I know you can take care of yourself but accidents can happen and I still worry."

I sighed but a small smile still tugged at the corners of my mouth. "I know you do Daniel. But I promise you I'm going to be okay. With the people and resources we have, it won't take us more than a few days to find the object. I'll be home by the weekend. Have a pizza ready for me."

I heard his soft chuckle through the phone and I pictured the grin on his face right now. I hated leaving him for missions. I missed his smile, his smell, his touch. But it was always the sweetest reunion when I came home.

"I'll have a meatlovers pizza sitting on the table when you walk in the door," he promised. "I love you."

"I love you too. Now go be an amazing doctor and save people's lives." After another round of 'I love you' and 'be safe', I ended the call.

I was glad the only other people in the jet was Agent Coulson and the pilot. I would have hated for any other agents to have listened to that.

We were in the jet heading for the helicarrier. Everyone on the team should be arriving this morning, where we will devise a plan about how to get the Tesseract back and Loki in our custody.

"Sorry about that," I said. Agents weren't really supposed to take personal calls during missions. It was a rule that I often struggled with. Not being able to see Daniel was hard enough, let alone not even being able to hear his voice. I often snuck away during mission to call him and let him know I was alright. Coulson and Natasha both knew but never said anything.

"That's alright," Coulson stated. "Daniel's good?"

In the 7 months since I had joined S.H.I.E.L.D I had grown particularly close to Coulson. Dad would be horrified to hear it, but he was like a second father to me. I couldn't count the number of times he had been there for me and helped me out, especially in the early stages of training. Whenever I'd thought about giving up or believed I wasn't good enough and thought Fury had made a mistake hiring me, he'd always been there. I would be forever grateful for our friendship.

"Yeah he is. He's just concerned, like he always is when I'm away." Coulson and Daniel had never actually met but when you're staking out a target for hours on end with someone you tend to start talking about personal things. Natasha and Coulson knew practically everything about Daniel and I.

And I knew a lot about both of them. "How's Audrey?"

"She's good too," he replied. "I haven't seen her in a while. I was going to fly up to Portland before all of this happened." Audrey was a cellist Coulson had saved while on a S.H.I.E.L.D mission just before I started.

"I'm sure you'll be able to get some time off to go see her when all of this is over," I said.

I glanced down at my phone, checking for the hundredth time if I had missed a call from dad. Nothing.

"What was your fathers reaction when you told him he was finally joining The Avengers?"

"He played it cool but I could see he was dying with excitement inside."

"So you finally told him about…?"Coulson asked.

I sighed. "No."

He gave me a look that I could only describe as 'disapproving father'.

"I know, I know. I should have just told him from the beginning. But haven't you ever put something off because you were scared of the consequences?"

Coulson shook his head. "Nothing as big as this."

"Our last big fight was in the hospital and I just…I hated it. I didn't want to go through that again." Ever since dad had created his suit and revealed his identity to the world, we'd had more fights than we'd ever had before. And the one in the hospital had been one of the worst. It still gave me a sinking feeling in my stomach every time I thought about it.

* * *

_"No! No way!" Dad's bellowing could be heard echoing through the halls of the hospital. "You are not going to be some experimental lab rat!"_

_To say he was not happy with the idea of me undergoing experimental surgery was an understatement. I'd watched his facial expression go from joyous when I told him I'd walk again, to disbelieving and outraged when I explained how. As soon as he heard the words 'experimental prototype' he completely lost it._

_I showed him the research papers that Fury has sent to me, explaining how the biostimulant chip was developed and how it worked. The chip would be implanted at the level of the injury and would reroute the neural signals around the injured nerves. It converts electrical signals into a wireless transmission, then a receiver picks up the information and converts it back into the original electrical signal which then stimulates the nerves._

_It had been in development for 8 years and had taken millions of dollars in research to develop the current prototype. This was the first time the chip would be trialled in a human. I could understand why dad was apprehensive about it all but it wasn't him who would be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life if we turned down the offer._

_"I'm sorry but this is not your decision." I was trying to remain calm and refrain from yelling. I wanted to have a rational discussion about this but that was hard when he was pacing around the room yelling and gesturing wildly._

_"Yes it is!"_

_Pepper, who was sitting in an armchair beside my bed, was trying to play mediator. "Tony please calm down."_

_"No, it isn't," I said to dad. "This is my body and I'm in control of what happens to it. If I want to have the surgery, I'll have the surgery."_

_He stopped his pacing to stand at the foot of my bed. "I'm your father and what I say goes," he said matter-of-factly._

_I scoffed at his words. "Since when?" I didn't want to play this card but I thought after a while I'd be able to convince him to do the surgery. He left me with no other option. "You can say no now but I'll be 18 in 2 weeks and in charge of my own medical decisions. Either I get the surgery now or I'll get it then."_

_With everything that had been going on lately he'd obviously lost track of time and forgotten about my upcoming birthday. I watched him mentally do the math as he realised what the date was. "I can't believe you would do this."_

_"And I can't believe you wont let me do this! Is it because its experimental? You literally have an experimental piece of technology stuck in your chest for crying out loud!" My voice was beginning to rise in volume as the fight wore on. "This would let me walk again!"_

_"Could let you walk again! The surgery could do more harm than good! It could-"_

_"What? Paralyse me? Already there. Kill me? At this point that is a risk I'm willing to take."_

_Dad looked like I'd just slapped him across the face. Even Pepper looked taken aback. "How could you say that?" he said, his volume considerably lower._

_"Because I'm the one sitting in this bed unable to walk. I'm the one who will be like this for the rest of their life, not you! It's easy for you to stand there and say everything will be okay when it's not happening to you. I've got a tube going up me so that I can pee, and I will have to have one for the rest of my life. And let's not forget the lovely other health concerns that come along with paralysis like blood clots, pressure sores, hypotension, autonomic dysreflexia." I'd done way too much research on paralysis the last few days. The more I read the more scared I became. I finally had to get Pepper to take my laptop away from me._

_Dad ran a hand through his hair as he finally stopped his pacing and sat down next to the bed. It was obvious the full magnitude of my condition hadn't hit home. He hadn't thought about all the little things that come along with paralysis._

_"I know it's experimental and that's gotta be scary for you but S.H.I.E.L.D wouldn't be offering this unless they truly believe it will work." I hadn't even mentioned to dad Fury's offer of going to work for S.H.I.E.L.D after the surgery. I decided to save that bit of information for another time. One fight was enough for today. "I had Daniel take a look at all of the research and he agrees that it's my best shot."_

_"Oh, well if some random kid thinks it's okay…"_

_"He's a doctor, which you know since he took care of me the last time I was in the hospital after a crazy man attacked us," I said, referencing the time Obadiah broke into our house, stole dad's arc reactor straight out of his chest and sent me crashing through the glass waterfall in our living room onto the stairs below. "He was genuinely amazed by the research and thinks this could be the solution for thousands of people with paralysis."_

_"But why do you have to be the tester? Why can't someone else do this and then if it works you can get the chip?"_

_"Because that will take too long and I'm impatient. The chip has to be implanted and monitored for at least a year before S.H.I.E.L.D can even begin to think about mass producing it for the public. I can't wait that long dad." I reached over to grab his hand which I then squeezed tight. "Plus, if I do this, I get to be a part of history. One day, years from now, this chip is going to be available across the world. Hundreds of thousands of paralysed people will be able to walk again. And I'll get to know that I helped to make that a reality."_

_He let out a long sigh as he looked down to our joined hands. He was fighting a losing battle and he knew it. There was still one card left he wanted to play. "Pepper, what do you think?"_

_Pepper, who up until now had been successfully avoiding being pulled into the argument, squirmed in her seat. She was use to playing mediator when dad and I were having arguments. She often tried to remain impartial and rationalise each of our opinions. But this argument was too important to remain neutral._

_"I think what Morgan said is right. It's her body, it should be her decision." I was so grateful that Pepper agreed with me. If she had taken dad's side, it would've started the argument all over again. "And if the situation were reversed, I think I'd make the same decision."_

_With my free hand I grasped a hold of Pepper's and squeezed it. To have her support meant everything. Even though it was never said aloud, we all knew I thought of Pepper as a mother figure. I knew one day the title would be official, although it was taking them longer than I expected to get together._

_We both looked over at dad expectantly. The war was lost, the argument was over. "Okay," he sighed. "But I want to look over every piece of research they have on this thing."_

_"Thank you Dad." I beamed at him. "Everything is going to be okay." He may not believe it, but I did. Everything would work out the way it's supposed to be._

* * *

Dad had tried to change my mind a few times before the surgery, promising to make the worlds most innovative wheelchair or designing a brace that would hold me up and let me walk again. But I held my ground and went ahead with the surgery. It had been a success, but even if it hadn't been, I would still have no regrets.

"But it has made the fight you're going to have in the end so much worse by waiting," Coulson said, pulling me from my memories.

"Probably," I admitted. "But at least this way what's done is done. He can't stop me or convince me not to join S.H.I.E.L.D in the first place this way."

The jet started to slow and lower in altitude. The butterflies in my stomach kicked into overdrive as I spotted the helicarrier coming up quickly. While I did have some nerves about the mission, the main cause of my discomfort was the unknown whereabouts of my father. If he was already down there on the helicarrier, it meant that in a few moments I would be having a very uncomfortable conversation with him. The second he saw me on the helicarrier, he would know I was not just a simple research analyst like I had been claiming. He would start asking questions and the truth would have to be told. The whole truth.


	5. Chapter 5

The jet lowered gently onto the deck on the helicarrier. I took and deep breath and followed Coulson out as the back of the jet lowered. The deck was bustling with people. Agents were performing running drills, mechanics were working on jets and standing nearby was Agent Natasha talking with a familiar face.

I could feel Coulson practically leap with excitement when he spotted him. Coulson had yet to meet Captain America in person, although he had been present when he was being 'defrosted' after being found in the ice. Unfortunately for Coulson, his communicator beeped at that exact moment and Fury's voice told him he was urgently needed on the bridge. He walked away dejectedly, glancing over his shoulder every few second before disappearing inside.

"Hey Nat!" I called out.

She greeted me with a warm smile as I approached her. "Hi Morgan."

As I looked up at the person who she'd been standing with, I was blown away. The photos I'd seen of him had not done him justice. He was tall, big and handsome.

"Captain Steve Rodgers, this is Agent Morgan Stark," Natasha said.

"Stark?" Steve questioned as he looked me up and down.

"I'm Tony Stark's daughter," I said, confirming his suspicions. "Howard Stark's granddaughter."

"I wasn't aware that Tony Stark had a daughter," he confessed.

"You obviously haven't mastered the internet then yet," I said with a laugh.

"One of the many things I'm working on." He extended his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You too."

I could see the spark light in his eyes as his memories took him back to the days he spent with Howard Stark. Even though he and my grandfather had been friends, I'd barely heard anything about the man before he'd been discovered frozen. And it didn't take a genius to figure out why. My father spent his whole childhood coming second to a man that he'd never even met. It was like Tony had been the second child and nothing he could do would ever measure up to the favourite. It would be hard not to resent the person you'd been competing with your whole life. I had no idea what the atmosphere was going to be like when dad and Steve finally met.

"Is dad here?" I asked Natasha.

"No he's not. We thought you'd know where he is."

"I'm sure he'll be here soon," I promised.

Suddenly someone who looked very lost stumbled over across to us.

"Dr. Banner," Steve said as a greeting as he extended his hand.

"Yeah, hi," Banner said nervously. After shaking Steve's hand he went back to wringing his fingers as he anxiously looked at his surroundings. "They told me you'd be coming."

"Dr. Banner, I'm Morgan Stark. It's so great to meet you." We quickly shook hands. "I've read most of your papers and they are all extraordinary. I'd love to talk to you about your work on anti-electron collisions."

"Uh, of course." He looked shocked that a teenager wanted to discuss his work but I watched as he registered my last name and realised he wasn't standing in front of a normal teenager. "I'm surprised that your father is allowing you to work on this."

"I've been working for S.H.I.E.L.D for a few months now, specifically conducting research and analysing the Tesseract and its energy potential. But my father isn't aware that I will be here so I'd appreciate it if you kept it quiet until I speak with him." Both Steve and Banner nodded and I was grateful for their agreement.

"So the word is you can find the cube," Steve said.

"Is that the only word on me?" Looking at this nervous, small man, it was hard to imagine he could turn into the raging green monster seen in numerous videos on the internet. It looked like all he needed was a hug, warm milk and a blanket.

"Only word I care about."

The relief on Banners face was clear as those words sunk in. He was beginning to see that people here wouldn't look at him and see his past or his 'alter-ego'. All they would see is a great man trying to help save the world. That was all that mattered.

"Sorry to interrupt but we're going to need to step inside in a minute. It's going to get a little hard to breathe," Natasha said.

A siren echoed across the deck, followed by an announcement for the flight crew to secure the deck. The jets were immediately being strapped down and the crew made their way inside.

"Is this a submarine?" Steve questioned.

The sound of rotors being started up filled the air, the hum intensifying with each passing second.

"Really? They want me in a submerged, pressurised, metal container?" Banner and Steve hesitantly walked to the deck's edge and peered down at the engines emerging from below the water.

Natasha and I shared a knowing smirk as the helicarrier slowly began lifting from the water.

"No, no, this is much worse," Banner proclaimed as they realised exactly what was happening. Wind and salt water whipped around us as the helicarrier continued its steady rise into the sky.

"This way gentlemen," Natasha said, directing Banner and Steve towards a staircase that would lead us down below deck. We followed her inside and walked through the hallways as she pointed out various rooms, such as bedrooms, bathrooms and even a gym/training room. Banner trailed behind Natasha while I'd fallen instep beside Steve. It was odd to be standing next to someone who was not only a national hero but was technically 94 years old. I watched as his eyes scanned his surroundings, taking in every minute detail. I couldn't even begin to imagine how hard it would be adjusting to being in a new century. Everything would be so new and confusing for him. If I suddenly woke up 70 years in the future, I wouldn't even know where to start again. I'd probably spend a large amount of my time crying. Steve had only been awake for one month yet here he was already getting back to the thing he did best; protecting America.

"How old are you Miss Stark?" he suddenly asked.

"Call me Morgan please," I insisted. "I'm 18."

"You're so young," he remarked. "I'm surprised S.H.I.E.L.D hires people your age."

I shrugged. "S.H.I.E.L.D likes to recruit young talent. I was 17 when they first approached me."

"So was your father okay with all of this?"

"Not really, but I'm of legal age now so there's not much he can do about it. He worries about me, like any parent would. Which is why I haven't told him my real role in S.H.I.E.L.D. He thinks I just work out of their LA office. When he finally decides to make an appearance here, I'm going to have to finally tell him the truth about what I do here."

"Which is what?" he asked, intrigued.

"I work partly as a research analyst investigating the Tesseract but my main role in S.H.I.E.L.D is working as a field agent."

I watched Steve's eyes widen in surprise as he looked me up and down. "You're a field agent?" Surprise and disbelief laced his tone.

"Don't let her size fool you," Natasha called out over her shoulder. "She saved my ass last month in Istanbul. Took down an armed suspect with just her switchblade and saved me from getting a bullet in the back of my head."

"Wow," he said, clearly impressed. But as he looked at me again, taking in my 5'6" height and 120 pound frame, he was obviously still wondering how on Earth I manage to overpower anyone. I had originally thought my small size would be a huge disadvantage when fighting a man twice my size but Natasha had quickly taught me how to use it to my advantage.

"Looks can be deceiving," Banner said. He, of course, knew all about that.

"So what was my grandfather like?" I asked. I'd only ever seen photos and a few old video reels of him. I decided to take advantage of the fact that I was standing next to a man who'd personally known him.

Steve looked down at me with raised eyebrows. "You don't know?"

I shook my head. "I never met him. He died before I was born."

"Oh. I'm so sorry."

"Didn't anyone tell you that?"

"They only told me that he died. They didn't go into any detail."

"He and his wife died in a car accident when dad was young," I explained. It was still a sensitive subject for dad. The truth was I didn't know much about either of my grandparents. Growing up, I'd asked Dad about them a few times but I could see the discomfort and grief it bought him, especially when talking about his mother. I probably knew as much about Howard and Maria Stark as anybody with an internet connection.

"I'm so sorry," Steve said sincerely.

"That's alright. It wasn't anybody's fault."

"He was a good man. And brave. He once flew me to Austria to go behind enemy lines. We were suddenly being fired upon and he didn't blink. He helped save a lot of men that night."

I beamed as I listened to him speak. It seemed like the desire to help people ran through the Stark veins.

"He never gave up on you, you know," I said. "He always believed he would find you one day. Even on the day he died, he still had people out there searching for you."

"I was told that. I wish he'd let me go and lived his life."

"He couldn't. You were his obsession. His constant search for you took its toll on dad though. I should probably warn you about him. He can be a bit of an asshole at times, and because his dad spent most of his life searching for you, he kind of grew up resenting you a bit. I'm not sure how he's going to be around you."

Steve nodded gratefully. "Thanks for the heads up."

The hallway ended and we stepped out into the vast bridge. The entire front and side walls of the bridge were window panels, allowing us to see the clear blue sky ahead of us and the immense crystal sea now far below us. Rows of computers, each with a S.H.I.E.L.D agent stationed in front of them, lined either side of the room. Each agent had their job to do as the helicarrier continued gaining height. Orders were being spoken into headsets and fingers typed furiously fast across keyboards. Situated in the middle of the room was a large desk and in front of that were the controls, where Nick Fury currently stood.

This was not my first time in the helicarrier so I wasn't looking around with the same awe and amazement that Steve and Banner were. Steve walked over to stand in front of the controls, gazing out at the clouds as they passed by. He pulled out a ten dollar note and passed it to Fury as he walked by.

"Doctor, thank you for coming," Fury said as he extended a hand to Banner.

"Thanks for asking nicely. So, how long am I staying?"

"Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the wind."

"Where are we with that?" I asked.

"We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet. Cellphones, laptops. If it's connected to a satellite it's eyes and ears for us," Coulson said.

"It's still not going to be enough to find them in time," Natasha said, her eyes glancing down at the image of Agent Barton on one of the computer screens.

"You have to narrow your field. How many spectrometers do you have access to?" Banner asked.

"How many are there?"

"Call every lab you know. Tell them to put the spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. I'll rough out a tracking algorithm, basic cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places." Banner took off his roughened coat and neatly folded it over his arms. "Do you have somewhere for me to work?"

"Agent Stark, would you show Dr Banner to his laboratory please," Fury requested.

I nodded and motioned for Banner to follow me. "Lab's this way."

As we stepped back out into the hallway, I watched his eyes dart around the walls. Obviously the man was apprehensive about being confined in such a small place with hundreds of other people and no obvious ways out except for an 8000 foot fall into the ocean below. I had no idea how he had control over 'the other guy' but I gathered keeping him calm and relaxed would help.

"The lab's been fully set up for you," I told him as we walked side by side. "It's got a neutrino detector, gammasphere, the works."

Banner nodded as his mind began calculating all the things he needed to get to work on. We had lapsed back into silence when he suddenly said, "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Of course."

"You graduated from MIT when you were 16, you read papers on anti-electron collisions and your heiress to a company worth over a billion dollars. With so much available to you, why did you want to work as a S.H.I.E.L.D agent?"

I took a moment to digest his question as I unlocked the lab doors.

"I wanted to challenge myself," I answered. As the doors to the lab slid open I stepped inside and Banner tentatively did the same. He looked around at the shiny, barely touched equipment in the room before his eyes landed back on me. "My life was…predictable before. I never stepped out of line, I did what was expected of me. I went to college, I was going to learn the ropes of my father's business and one day take over. Then life changed. I realised I wanted more. And then S.H.I.E.L.D came along. When they approached me, they saw more in me than I ever did. I could have just been a lab technician or an electrical engineer, doing a 9-5 job for them and going home safe and sound at night. But they had more planned for me. They pushed me. Showed me I was capable of things I'd never thought possible. I became a S.H.I.E.L.D agent to help other people, but I also did it for myself."

He nodded in understanding as he neatly folded his jacket and placed it on a counter top. It felt good to finally put into words my reasons for joining S.H.I.E.L.D. I wondered if Banner understood me. Even if he didn't, it was still nice to talk to someone about it.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" I inquired.

"You want to know how I control  _him_ ," Banner deduced.

I nodded, suddenly feeling guilty that I'd asked. "I'm sorry, it's none of my business."

"It's okay," he reassured me. "It, uh…it takes a lot of practice. Some days I'm not sure I have as much control over him as I think I do."

"Is that why you were living in such a remote area?"

"Yes. He's already hurt enough people."

"I really admire you for what you were doing out there. Even after everything that's happened to you, you still spend your life trying to help others."

"Well I wasn't going to let him control what little life I have left."

We settled into a comfortable silence as Banner began working on his tracking algorithm and I started turning on and calibrating some of the machines he would need. I found myself every so often glancing over at Banner as he worked. It was still hard to grasp the idea that this brilliant, small, harmless man could easily turn into a murderous, raging, green monster. I think it wasn't something I'd truly accept until I saw the transformation for myself, something which I hoped would never happen.

I heard a quick tap on the door and looked over to find Natasha in the doorway. "Let's go Morgan."

"Where we headed?"

"Stuttgart, Germany. We got a hit on Loki." I could tell from the look in her eyes she was hoping Loki wasn't the only one we'd find in Germany. It must be excruciating knowing your best friend is out there, under the control of a mad man who could make him do or say anything. Despite her attempts to make it seem like she was holding up alright, her desperation to get Barton back was written all over her.

"Alright, I'll meet you in the jet in 5."

"It's highly unlikely Loki will have the cube on him so keep working on that algorithm," she said to Banner.

"It should be done within the hour," he said as he looked up from his laptop.

Natasha nodded and spun around to leave. I began to follow her and was almost out the door before I stopped in my tracks. "I know Fury already said this, but thank you for helping us," I said. "You're going to help save a lot of people when we get Loki and the Tesseract back." Just before I slipped out the door, I saw Banner look up with a ghost of a smile on his face.

I just wanted to remind Banner of why he was here. Even though he's cooped up in what might feel like a small metal box surrounded by people he think he could hurt, he's still here for a good reason. He's here not just to get back the Tesseract but to save countless lives.


	6. Chapter 6

I walked the hallways, looking for my bag to change into my catsuit. I was tempted to pull out my phone and call Daniel before I left but I decided against it. He would still be at the hospital and calling him now would just be a distraction for both of us.

Being away from him for long periods of time is one of the hardest things that came along with the job at S.H.I.E.L.D. But I am so glad that he came back into my life again.

* * *

_After dad consented to me having the surgery I was moved from the hospital in New York to a S.H.I.E.L.D medical centre in California. Being so close to home meant that Dad and Pepper could finally go home and sleep in their own beds (although both spent most of their night sleeping at the medical centre with me). It also meant that Daniel could visit me regularly._

_After a few days of preparation it was finally time for the surgery. Lying face down on an operating table about to be put under an anaesthetic so someone could insert a new piece of technology into your spine was incredibly terrifying. But as I counted backwards from ten, my mind getting progressively foggier with each number, Daniel's hand was reassuringly squeezing my own. I had stipulated in my agreement to be S.H.I.E.L.D's guinea pig that Daniel had to be allowed to be present during the surgery. One, it meant that throughout the 13 hour procedure I would have someone I knew watching over me, and two, it was a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience for him as a doctor._

_The surgery went as planned, although I was warned that it could take up to 2 months before I could begin to regain the feelings in my legs and many more months after that before I would even start walking again. Every morning and night a nurse would come into my room and run me through a series of tests, all of which I would fail. Dad and Pepper would stare intently at my toes while the nurse encouraged me to wiggle them. Day after day nothing was happening._

_I tried to remain upbeat and optimistic, mainly for Dad's sake. Every time he saw me being upset about not being able to do something as simple as wiggle my toes the guilt came flooding back into his face. Even though I had told him time and time again that what happened to me was not his fault, he still felt responsible for my injury. It was my decision to run into the middle of war zone and there was no one to blame for the end result except for Ivan Vanko. The bastard was now dead, which is what he deserved, but the repercussions of his actions were still present._

_Having Daniel visiting regularly helped to pass the time while I waited to see if the surgery was successful. Whenever he wasn't at work, he was coming to see me. We would spend our time talking, playing board games or watching movies together. It was killing me that we couldn't go out and date like normally people. Spending the first month of our relationship together in a hospital is not what I would have wanted. Daniel obviously sensed my disappointment because one night he wheeled me up to the roof of the S.H.I.E.L.D hospital, which he had decorated in fairy lights, for our first 'real' date. He had set up a sushi making station (he had bragged about his ability to make the best sushi on Earth), an ice cream sundae bar, and a projector to watch one of my favourite movies, Forrest Gump, under the stars. After proving he was indeed a master at making sushi, he gently lifted me from my wheelchair and laid me down on the blankets and pillows set up in front of the projector to watch the movie. I saw from the corner of my eye during the movie Pepper and Dad pop their heads briefly around the corner._

_I think that was the moment Dad finally accepted Daniel. Before then he had been cold and unfriendly whenever Daniel had come to visit. And I completely understood where it had been coming from. His only daughter just got her first boyfriend. That would be enough to freak any father out, let alone having the added stress of worrying if he was just using me for our money. The only time I'd had to really worry about people liking me for me or for my money was during college. Dad had been dealing with that for a lot longer than I had, which meant he was a pretty good judge of character. Which is why I knew he would eventually warm up to Daniel. Daniel was one of the most genuine, loving, selfless person that I had ever met and I knew his feelings for me would be the same even if I was broke and homeless._

_They starting chatting more and more, and thankfully Daniel was amazingly smart and could keep up with dad. 18 days after the surgery when I wiggled my toes for the first time since the accident, they cheered so loudly and practically leapt into each other's arms to hug one another._

_My progress was slow but steady. Once I regained the feeling back in my legs I was able to start physical therapy. Learning to walk again was so much harder that I could have ever expected. Going from a physically fit 17-year-old to not being able to take a step without the help of a walking frame was a huge adjustment. It was also terrifying to realise the only reason I could stand upright on my own two feet again was because of a piece of technology in my spine. Before the surgery I was plagued with doubts about if it would even work. Now I was plague with doubts and worries about if it would continue to work. What if it just stopped one day? I would be walking along and then suddenly not be able to feel my legs. It was a horrifying thought that wouldn't leave my brain._

_Not only did the attack take its toll on my body but it also affected my mental health. Being stuck in a body that didn't feel like your own anymore was horrible. I felt trapped. I felt like a burden to my father and Daniel. I put on a brave face whenever they were around but I cried into my pillow at night more times than I could count._

_It felt like I would never get back to the place I was before the attack, but slowly over a few months I went from walking using a frame, to using crutches, to a walking stick, to finally being able to walk unassisted. The day dad walked into the physio room to see me walking towards him, he had tears running down his face. I walked up to him and wiped away a tear before wrapping my arms around him._

_"See, I told you everything would be okay," I whispered into his ear._

* * *

I decided not to call Daniel but there was someone else I did need to call.

Pulling out my phone, I dialled dad's number and wasn't surprised when it went straight to voicemail. "Hey dad. I don't know where you are since they've told me you haven't turned up at S.H.I.E.L.D but they've located Loki. He's in Stuttgart, Germany. Some agents are heading there now."

While it wasn't unusual for dad to arrive late to anything and everything, it was unusual for him to miss the opportunity to don the suit and kick some ass. It was concerning that he hadn't showed up yet, but unfortunately I had bigger things to worry about. After changing into my catsuit, strapping my gun to my thigh and slipping into my combat boots, I headed to the hanger. I swept my long blonde hair up into a ponytail.

I entered the awaiting jet to find Natasha already situated in the pilot's seat, readying to take off. Steve, now clad in his Captain America outfit, was buckling himself into one of the many passenger seats that lined the walls of the jet. He looked up as I boarded and I watched his eyes widen as he took in my change of outfit. I guess no one really believes I'm a S.H.I.E.L.D agent until they see the gun on my thigh.

"You ready Steve?" I asked him. I sat down in the seat next to Natasha, watching from the corner of my eye as Steve lightly traced his fingers over the star on his shield. It would be his first mission since coming out of the ice. I wondered what thoughts were running through his mind. Was he wishing he'd stayed frozen? Was he hoping he could be anywhere else in the world right now? Or was he looking forward to getting back to doing what he does best?

"Yes ma'am," he called out.

"Please don't call me ma'am," I said with a laugh. "It makes me feel like I'm 6o years old."

"Sorry, force of habit."

Beside me Natasha began flicking on various switches and the sound of the jet powered up hummed throughout the hanger. I had yet to be taught how to fly the jet so I tried to study and memorize her actions. She gently pulled up on the controls, lifting us from the ground before pushing them forward, sending us flying out of the hanger into the cloudless blue sky. Thankfully the helicarrier had been flying over the North Atlantic Ocean, meaning we were not too far away from Europe. With the close location, and the advanced technology the jet possessed, we'd be arriving in Germany in under an hour. But that still gave Loki time to disappear. I hoped whatever he was there for kept him occupied long enough for us to get there in time.

"I guess you're hoping your dad's decided to sit this one out?" Natasha smirked at me.

I groaned and threw my head back against the seat. "Come on Nat, you know dad. How do you think he's going to take it when I tell him his only child is a S.H.I.E.L.D agent who gets attacked and shot at on a regular basis?"

"Well it was never going to be an easy conversation but it might have gone down a bit smoother if you'd told him 6 months ago, like when I told you to."

"Tell me you've never put anything off until the last minute. He's always been protective of me but ever since the incident at the expo, he's gone into overdrive. He still watches me walk, as if I'm suddenly going to go back to being paralysed again."

"You were paralysed?" Steve suddenly asked.

"Uh, yeah." I swung the seat around to face him. "Some crazy Russian guy was trying to kill my father and I. I got hit by one of his explosions and was paralysed from the waist down."

"How...uh, how are you walking now?" he stuttered, as if he was asking a deeply personal question.

"I have a bio-chip implanted into my spine that lets me walk again. It was designed and produced by S.H.I.E.L.D researchers. It's still experimental but it's going good so far."

"Wow. It sounds like you and your father have been though a lot."

"You have no idea," I said with a half-hearted laugh. "Part of the reason I agreed to undergo S.H.I.E.L.D training was because after all the shit I'd been through, I wanted to be able to protect myself."

"And now you can do that, and plenty more." Natasha smiled. I could see the pride in her eyes. Never in a million years had I thought I'd be trained as an agent by the women who'd posed as dad's assistant, the women I'd disliked from the moment I'd laid eyes on her. Nor had I ever imaged that we'd get along, let alone become great friends, but that's exactly what had happened. I counted the woman sitting beside me as one of the greatest friends in life. She'd trained me, taught me, and eventually trusted me with her life.

I can still clearly remember some of our first training sessions together. I was more than ready to give up and anyone else might have let me, but Natasha didn't. She pushed me and showed me I was capable of more.

* * *

_For what felt like the hundredth time that morning, Natasha threw me down onto the padded mats in the S.H.I.E.L.D training room. I groaned as my muscles screamed in protest. My whole body felt on fire, the pain going deep into my bones._

_"Again," Natasha commanded._

_"I can't," I puffed out. I sucked in deep breaths, trying to get enough air into my lungs. I was tired, exhausted and just about ready to cry._

_"Excuse me?"_

_Somehow I managed to use what little energy I had left to push myself up from the mats. "I can't do this! Look at me, I'm not strong enough! You've got the wrong girl. Go find some strong, muscly girl who can actually fight. Because I can't!" I turned on my heel and quickly strode over the doors that led to the locker room._

_S.H.I.E.L.D had obviously made a mistake in hiring me. Why on earth did they think I could do this? I can't fight. I have no strength and ability to fight. I might have aced the weapons parts but from what I'd seen, the most essential part of being a S.H.I.E.L.D agent was the ability to defend yourself with nothing but your bare hands. Something I certainly couldn't do._

_I always hated giving up but sometimes you have to know your limitations. I was suddenly glad I hadn't told dad I was becoming an agent. He'd have told me it was a stupid idea, and he'd be right. Plus I wouldn't have been able to stand seeing that smug 'I told you so' smile on his face._

_I collapsed onto the bench in the locker room, still taking wheezing gasps. As soon as I caught my breath I'd change out of this stupid and ridiculously tight catsuit and get the hell out of here. I pulled out my phone to call the one person I wanted to talk to, Daniel. Just hearing his voice would calm me down._

_The door swung open. I looked up, expecting to see a disappointed Natasha staring down at me. Instead I found Agent Coulson gazing at me. After a moment of silence he sat down next to me._

_"I hope you're not here to tell me to pick myself up, dust myself off and get back in there," I said._

_"Not if you don't want me to."_

_I looked over at him and sighed in exasperation. "I can't do this. I thought that I could. I wanted to be able to, but I just can't. This isn't me."_

_"S.H.I.E.L.D has trained hundreds of agents. Do you think they all just woke up one day and could do it all? That this all came naturally to them?"_

_"I'm pretty sure it did for Romanoff in there."_

_"No one is born a fighter. They have to work for it, earn it. Even Natasha. It's the same with you. Give yourself some time and stop being so hard on yourself. You'll get there in the end."_

_I digested his words. Maybe he was right. I was being too hard on myself for not being good at this instantly. Being a young woman with a genius level IQ, I'd always found myself naturally excelling at most things. I flew through high school without trying and my time at university hadn't been the stressful experience most college attendants have. I'd been great at everything I'd tried, up until now. And that was obviously disheartening. But Coulson was right. Just because you don't excel at something straight away doesn't mean you should give up on it. I needed to persist, to train and develop my skills. Who knows how long that will take, or if I even have any skills for this, but I wont give up. Not without trying first._

_"Thank you."_

_Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself up off the bench and walked back into the training room. Natasha was standing in the exact spot she had been before I'd stormed out. I expected her to yell, to say how disappointed she was, to tell me I didn't have what it takes if I give up that easily. Instead she smiled at me._

_"I see Coulson gave you one of his motivational speeches. He's good at those. He gave me one not long after Clint bought me into S.H.I.E.L.D and I thought he'd made a huge mistake. I didn't feel like I belonged. I felt like an outsider. Then Coulson sat me down and talked me through it. We all have doubts Morgan. You just have to push past them."_

_I nodded. "I know."_

_"Good," she smirked. "Now, again!"_

* * *

I thanked Coulson and Natasha every day for not giving up on me. I wouldn't be where I was without either of them. My friendship with Natasha had even grown to extend beyond our working relationship. At the end of a hard day we'd get a drink together, we confined in one another, she was even the one I called when Daniel and I had one of our rare fights. She was the sister I never had. Cliché, but true.

"I don't know what Dad is doing but I know  _that_  conversation is coming."

"He should be proud about what you're doing," Steve said. "You're saving lives. That's a noble thing to do."

I snorted with a huff of laughter. "He's not going to see it that way."

"He will eventually," Natasha promised. "Heads up. We're almost there."


	7. Chapter 7

The bright city lights of Stuttgart shone below the jet. I watched the headlights of the cars below me. I could just make out the small figures of people waking on the streets. Everyone in this city was in danger until we got out hands on Loki. How many more people would he kill or control until we stopped him?

"We're getting reports that a man dressed in green wielding a staff has cornered about two hundred people in the streets," Natasha said.

"That's our guy." Steve unbuckled himself from the seat and stood up. He grasped his shield in one hand and pulled down his mask with the other. He looked ready, I just hoped he really was.

"We're going to drop you in Steve and monitor the situation from a distance. We'll be close by in case you need a hand." Natasha bought the jet down in an abandoned car lot about two blocks from Loki's current whereabouts.

"Rodger that." Steve ran down the lowered ramp at the back of the jet and disappeared into the night.

I tracked his location on a map thanks to the chip he agreed to have implanted in his suit and made sure the microphone in his mask was switched on and receiving. Natasha raised the jet and we hovered behind a skyscraper, hidden from Loki's view and just waiting until it was time to move in.

"How about a better view?" Natasha asked.

"Sure." With a smirk, I cracked my knuckles before my hands flew across the keyboard in front of me. Within moments I had the video feed and audio from the security cameras in the streets below us.

We watched as the people in the streets began kneeling. Even on the grainy security footage, the terror was clear and unmistakable on their faces. Soon everyone was on their knees and the only man left standing was Loki. That's when I saw there were 5 of him. I was momentarily confused until I saw one of the Loki's flicker and disappear briefly and I realised they were just illusions. I remember seeing it somewhere in his file that illusions and projections were one of his hypothesised powers. He was dressed in green robes adorned with gold armour plates and in his hand was his sceptre. He had a new addition to his look, which was a large golden helmet that had two large, curving horns.

"Is this not simpler? Is this not your natural state?" Loki was slowly weaving through the crowd. He had the same deranged smirk on his face now that he had the night he stole the Tesseract. He was enjoying seeing all these people yielding to him, willing to get on their knees without a fight. He was feeding off their fear. "It's the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy, in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."

"Not to men like you," a small, but strong voice suddenly said from the crowd. A balding elderly man stood up in the crowd to face Loki. While I admired his bravery, I was sure the man was only seconds away from dying due to his defiance. Steve better get there soon or I was sure that man would only be the first of many people to die tonight.

Surprisingly, Loki chuckled. "There are no men like me."

"There are always men like you."

"Look to your elder people," Loki said as he raised his sceptre. "Let him be an example." The blue energy radiating from the sceptre pulsed brightly. A ball of energy shot out from the tip of the sceptre, heading straight for the man. My heart skipped a beat in my chest.

At the last moment, just before the ball of energy hit him, a figure appeared to descend from the sky and deflect the blow. The energy blast bounced off Captain America's shield and was shot back directly to Loki, hitting him square in the chest. The force of the blow sent him crumbling onto the pavement.

"Well, he certainly likes to make an entrance," I mumbled to Natasha.

"You know the last time I was in Germany, and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing." You could see the fear on people's face change to hope and relief when they realised who was standing among them. A few began to rise from the ground, obviously no longer afraid since Captain America's arrival. Even after 70 years, people still believed in him. They knew that they were safe whenever he was around because he would do whatever it takes to protect them, and their freedom.

"Time to move in," Natasha said beside me. While she flew the jet out from behind the skyscraper, I kept my eyes firmly planted on the screen in front of me.

"The solider," Loki said with distain as he rose from the ground. "The man out of time."

"I'm not the one out of time," Captain America replied.

Natasha flew the jet into the square so we had a clear view of Loki, and his hostages.

"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down," she said over the quinjets megaphone while lowering the forward turret.

Even from inside the jet I could see the glint in Loki's eyes as he glared up at the jet. With the sceptre in his hand, he threw another ball of energy, this time directed up at the jet. Luckily Natasha had quick reflexes as she dove the jet to the side to miss the blast. I braced myself using the counter in front of me as Natasha corrected the jets position and tried to get a lock on Loki to fire upon him.

While the people scrambled to their feet to flee, Captain America and Loki engaged in battle. Loki was using his sceptre as a sword, as Captain America used his shield to block his attacks.

"I can't get a lock on him," Natasha said. They were moving around far too much and she couldn't fire without risk of hitting Steve.

Within a few moments they were the only people left in the square. Even the police were keeping their distance, choosing to help evacuate people instead of trying to intervene.

Loki managed to deflect the shield thrown at him, sending it skidding away and out of Captain America's reach. That didn't deter Captain America as he engaged in hand to hand combat with Loki. While he managed to land a few punches, it was clear that Loki was gaining the upper hand. He had just tossed Captain America across the square when a noise in the jet drew our attention away from the fight.

I shared a confused look with Natasha as the sound within the jet grew louder. Then I realised what it was. Playing over the jets PA system was AC/DC's 'Shoot to Thrill', which could only mean one thing.

"Agent Romanoff, you miss me?" a familiar voice asked over the PA system.

There was a smirk on Natasha's face as she glanced over to me.

"Shit," I mouthed to her, trying to make no sound as dad would be able to hear since he'd hacked into the jet's systems.

The music continued to blare through the speakers as a streak of light appeared in the dark sky. With outstretched arms Iron Man used the hand repulsors in the suit to send a blast that hit Loki head on before he landed beside Captain America.

"It's about time," Natasha said. I wondered if she was talking to me or dad.

"Make your move, Reindeer Games," Iron Man said. He currently had every weapon in the suit armed and aimed at Loki. Loki slowly raised his hands in defeat. His golden armour appeared to melt away from his body, leaving him in his regular black and green attire. "Good move."

Captain America, who had collected his fallen shield, nodded to Iron Man. "Stark."

"Captain," was his curt reply.

"Time to face the music," Natasha said. She lowered the jet and gently landed it in the square while dad and Captain America detained Loki.

"Why do I get the feeling you're going to enjoy this?" I hurriedly whispered to her. She replied with a grin.

The loading hatch was lowered and I stood up and braced myself for the conversation which was about to happen. Loki was led inside by Captain America who swiftly strapped him down in one of the seats at the back of the jet. His cold, dark eyes swept over me. I wondered if he remembered me from the lab. The glint in his eyes suggested he did. I supressed the shiver going down my spine and looked away.

Then Iron Man walked in. Even with his faceplate down, I could register the exact moment he spotted me standing at the front of the jet. He stopped walking and stared at me for a full 20 seconds. I was waiting for the yelling, for the accusations and demands for the truth. After what felt like an eternity, he reached up to remove his helmet and I was shocked to find him smiling.

"I knew it!" he cried in triumph. He stalked over to where I stood, still in shock at his unexpected reaction. "I knew you were lying about what you did for S.H.I.E.L.D."

"So you're not angry?" I asked hopefully.

"Oh no, I'm angry," he said. I could hear the fury in his voice bubbling to the surface. Any thoughts I had about this blowing over quickly soon disappeared. "What are you wearing?" he asked as he glanced down. "And what is that on your leg?!"

"It's a gun dad. I'm surprised you don't recognise one since you use to make them." While I knew this wasn't the time for it, the words coming out of my mouth were laced with sarcasm.

"Why do you have a gun?"

"I'm a field agent. It's kind of a requirement."

"You're an agent?" he asked incredulously. "Like a going undercover, spying and shooting people agent?"

"Yes."

"No. No way, I'm not letting you become a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent."

"I'm not  _becoming_  an agent, I am an agent. I have been for 7 months. I didn't need your permission then, and I don't need it now."

Captain America, who had been silently watching our exchange from the back of the jet, stepped forward and cleared his throat. "Maybe you should discuss this back on the helicarrier."

"Stay out of this, icicle," dad shot back at him.

I gritted my teeth as I sighed in frustration. "He's right. This isn't the time for this conversation." I looked past dad's shoulder to see Loki clearly eavesdropping on our conversation. It was bad enough having Natasha and Steve witnessing it, I sure as hell didn't need a murderous alien watching it too. "We need to get Loki back to the helicarrier. Then we'll discuss this."

Dad clearly wanted to argue but I'd already turned away from him. Natasha shot me a sympathetic look as I strapped myself in the co-pilot chair beside her.

"Go do a sweep of the area to see if he bought the Tesseract," Natasha commanded. While getting the Tesseract back was vital, we all knew there was something else just as important to her that she was looking for.

Captain America exited the jet, with dad reluctantly following.

"Are you going to tell him about the  _other_  thing?" Natasha asked.

"One thing at a time." If dad disapproved of me becoming an agent, he was going to have a heart attack when he found out about my other secret. I was starting to regret not taking Natasha's advice and telling him about everything earlier. The conversation we started to have would probably have been easier if done sitting down at Stark Tower or at home, not in the field. But it's just easier to put something off when you know it's going to change your relationship with someone. I just wanted things to stay the same, for just a little bit longer.

But now that was gone, and I knew dad would probably never 100% trust me again, especially once I tell him about the other secret I've been keeping from him. Maybe it was a good thing, forcing our relationship to change? If nothing changed, he would always see me as a scared, little girl that needed to be protected from the world. I wasn't a little girl anymore, nor do I need protecting. I can protect myself just fine now. Of course every parent still saw the baby snuggled in their arms on the day they were born when they looked at their child. But dad needed to look past that and appreciate the strong, powerful woman I'm becoming, thanks to S.H.I.E.L.D. I hoped once we sat down and I explained everything to him, he would eventually see and understand my reasons for joining S.H.I.E.L.D.

"No sign of the Tesseract," Steve declared as he climbed back on board.

"Alright, let's take Loki in," Natasha said, adeptly hiding her disappointment at not finding Barton.


	8. Chapter 8

I could feel dad's eyes hone straight in on me as he climbed back on board the jet but I kept my eyes trained on the front of the jet. I could also feel another pair of eyes on me but I refused to even look in his direction. I didn't want to admit it, but Loki scared the shit out of me and just knowing he was gazing in my direction sent butterflies off in my stomach, but not the good 'first date' kind of butterflies. It was more like 'a homicidal alien who can mind control people is staring at me' kind of butterflies.

"Hey, what are you staring at?" Dad barked. I glanced over my shoulder to see him stalking towards Loki. With a smirk upon his face, Loki finally broke his gaze away from me to look up at dad.

"You have a beautiful daughter," he said in a disturbing tone.

Dad advanced upon him, his top lip snarled up in anger, before Captain America stepped in front of him. "Stop, he's just trying to get a rise out of you." Captain America kept his hands on Dad's chest while he stared Loki down. After a moment he shrugged Captain America's hands off of him and made his way back to the front of the jet. I quickly spun around in my chair, pretending to have not witnessed the scene. Loki chuckled. I refused to let Loki, or Dad, see my fear.

Natasha, who was also pretending to have not seen or heard a thing, got the jet up in the air and heading back towards the helicarrier within seconds. I sent a message off to Fury notifying him that we had Loki in custody. But no Tesseract, Barton, or Selvig. I began wondering just what the hell we were going to do with Loki when he got back to the helicarrier. There was a prison system on the ship capable of holding him but then what? He didn't seem like the kind of person who would tell us his plan and give up the location of the Tesseract just because he was captured. No, he seemed like the kind of man who would have multiple plans in motion, and no doubt one of those plans accounted for him being captured. So what did he have planned next?

After a few moments Dad seemed to settle down but kept a close eye on Loki from the front of the jet.

"I don't like it," Captain America suddenly said as he stood beside dad.

"What? Rock of Ages giving up so easily?"

"I don't remember it being that easy. This guy packs a wallop." He threw worried glances back at Loki, who had taken up staring at the wall but was no doubt listening to every work being spoken.

"Still, you are pretty spry for an older fellow. What's your thing, pilates?"

"What?" I think Captain America was more confused by how Dad could go from concerned father to making jokes in a matter of seconds rather than the actual question.

"It's like calisthenics. You might have missed a couple of things, you know, doing time as a Capsicle."

I could feel the tension radiating off the pair of them. I knew it was only a matter of time before things erupted between the two of them. Captain America had no personal issues with Iron Man, but dad certainly had an issue with him. It would be hard to be in the presence of the man you personally felt was responsible for your fractured relationship with your father and not do anything about it. I had only been hoping dad would be able to remain civil throughout this mission. I was beginning to realise that hope was futile.

"You know-" Captain America began, only to be interrupted by the deafening sounds of a thunderstorm forming around the jet. Lightning lit up the otherwise pitch black sky while raindrops pelleted the windshield.

"Where is this coming from?" Natasha muttered. She corrected the jet's movements as the rough wind whipped us around. More lightning cracked through the sky, coming dangerously close to the jet.

"What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?" Captain America asked as he noticed the somewhat apprehensive features on Loki's face.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows," was his reply.

I was pondering just what the hell he meant when something large and hard landed on the roof. The impact shook the jet and had everyone reaching for something to steady themselves. The lightning seemed to be enveloping us.

Wind suddenly swept through the jet. I spun around to see Iron Man lowering the jet's ramp. "What are you doing?" I called out over the wind.

As if having fallen out of the sky, a man unexpectedly landed on the ramp. He rose up to his full height and as I took in his shoulder length blonde hair, extremely large muscles and the hammer gripped tightly in his hand, I registered his identity as being Thor, the God of Thunder. He was dressed in similarly odd robes as his brother, with a metal chest plate and long red cape billowing out behind him.

Dad raised his hand to attack but a hammer to the chest sent him tumbling to the ground in a heap. Thor ripped Loki from his seat and disappeared into the dark night sky with him.

"Now there's that guy," Iron Man said with a groan as he rose from the floor.

"Another Asgardian?" Natasha asked. She had been too busy trying to control the rocking jet to get a good look at who had just arrived.

"Yep," I called out. "Thor."

"That guy's a friendly?" Captain America asked.

"It doesn't matter," Iron Man responded. "If he frees Loki or kills him, the Tesseract is lost."

"Stark, we need a plan of attack!" He said.

"I have a plan. Attack." And with that he jumped out of the jet. Captain America sighed in frustration. He grabbed a parachute and began strapping it to his body.

"I'd sit this one out Cap," Natasha warned. "These guys come from legends. They're basically Gods."

"There's only one God ma'am," he retaliated. "And I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." He grabbed his shield and without a seconds hesitation had leapt from the back of the jet.

"Fantastic," I mumbled to myself. I knew I should stay in the jet. I knew Iron Man and Captain America would be able to get Loki back from Thor. But I honestly didn't know if I trusted dad's actions right now, especially with Captain America around.

I undid my straps and grabbed the small silver briefcase located under my chair.

"What are you doing?" Natasha asked.

"Well we got one secret out tonight. May as well get them all out." I unlocked the case and activated my suit. As I lifted up the chest piece, the rest began to form around my body. I listened to the clinking of the metal as it enveloped my body. Every piece slid into place perfectly, conforming around my body like a cocoon. After only a few seconds I was standing in the jet in my own black and silver 'Iron Man' suit.

"Go get 'em," Natasha said as I flipped my face plate shut. I walked to the back of the jet, took a deep breath, and launched myself out. No matter how many times I used my suit, I would never get over the feeling of soaring through the air. It was indescribable. The rush, the adrenaline, the feeling of being free. It was amazing. I loved having my own 'Iron' suit but I knew the fury dad had felt when he discovered I was a S.H.I.E.L.D agent was only going to grow when he found out I also had designed and built my own suit without telling him.

My Heads Up Display was scanning the forest floor below and quickly located Iron Man who was engaging in a battle with Thor. They were leaving a path of destruction in their wake but it was only the pair of them fighting it out. Loki was nowhere to be seen.

"Jarvis, please scan the surrounding area for Loki." Finding Loki again was more important than stopping the ass beating Iron Man was currently getting.

"Loki is 2 miles South of your current position," The AI quickly answered. I had copied the code dad had used to create Jarvis in our home and his suit so I had the familiar AI voice in my own suit.

My scanner picked him up sitting on a rock on the edge of a cliff face, watching the fight playing out below him. I flew to his position and landed down behind him. He looked over his shoulder but did not show any signs of being surprised at my presence or my suit.

"Do you want to do this the easy way?" I asked, my voice coming out distorted through the suit as dad's did.

"As much as I would like to see your hard way, I would prefer you taking me back rather than your father or my brother," he replied. "Besides, they seem quite preoccupied."

I had been expecting a fight and a struggle but as I pulled out a pair of handcuffs, Loki merely extended his hands and allowed me to put them on. I was relieved at having no resistance but something was definitely going on. He had his chance to escape but he stayed put, instead choosing to watch his brother pummel one of his captors.

"I remember you," he said as I tightened the cuffs around his wrists. I ignored his comment but we both knew he was getting under my skin. I don't know why. Since working for S.H.I.E.L.D I'd dealt with traitors, murderers and rapists on missions. I'd proven I could stand up to them and handle myself, taking them down with ease, yet something about Loki was different. Deep down we both knew he scared me and I hated it.

The idea of being so close to him repulsed me but I needed to get him back on the jet. I knew he couldn't put me under his control without his sceptre, which was locked away on the jet, but I still hesitated as I stepped close to him. I grabbed him around his waist and shot off into the sky. His surprisingly blue eyes stared into the lights of the suits eyes and didn't break away as we flew. I reasoned that he was purposely trying to make me uncomfortable and fearful. I was the youngest and smallest on the team, of course he was trying his tricks on me and not Iron Man or Captain America. I was determined not to let him get to me.

I tracked the jets position and was grateful when I landed inside and could let go of Loki.

"Good job!" Natasha yelled.

"Now I have to go deal with the children," I replied.

I forced Loki down into his seat again and strapped him back in. "Next time, let's do it the hard way," he said.

I was grateful to get away from him as I jumped back off the jet. It wasn't hard to locate where Iron Man and Thor were. Between the two of them they had managed to destroy almost every tree in their immediate vicinity, creating a clear landing site. As I flew above them they both stopped their attacks to watch me descend. With Iron Man's helmet obscuring his face, I could only imagine what his expression was but I was guessing it was a mixture of surprise, shock and anger.

"Had enough?" I asked as I landed. I flipped my face plate open and confirmed dad's suspicion about who was in the suit. He followed suit and I could finally see the shock upon his face. But there was something there I hadn't expected to see; betrayal.

"Please tell me blondie here knocked me out and I'm currently hallucinating, otherwise you are in so much trouble." His tone was laced with rage.

I rolled my eyes as I stalked towards him. "And you wonder why I don't tell you about these things when you still talk to me like I'm 7 years old!" He looked up and down at my suit, registering every inch of it.

"You're a woman," Thor said in his rough, husky voice. He was glancing between my sleek silver and black suit and dad's red and gold one.

"Keen observation there," I shot back.

"What are you doing in a suit? Why do you have a suit?"

"Can we  _please_  talk about this later. I will explain everything, I promise. But right now we need to get back to the helicarrier."

"You are not taking Loki anywhere," Thor interjected.

"Yes, we are," I retaliated.

"Enough!" A voice suddenly cried out. Captain America flipped through the air and landed beside me. "Now, I don't know what you plan on doing here."

"I've come to put an end to Loki's schemes," Thor claimed.

"Then prove it. Put that hammer down."

"Oh yeah…no. Bad call," Dad began. "He loves his hamme-" Thor silenced him by throwing his hammer straight into Iron Man's chest. He was sent flying across the clearing before crumpling to a heap on the ground.

"You want me to put the hammer down?" Thor yelled. He launched himself into the air, sailing towards Captain America, who readied himself with his shield. I had just enough time to flip my face plate shut before Thor brought his hammer down upon the shield. The collision of the two objects sent out a deafening sound and the force of the impact levelled everything within a two mile radius.

As the dust settled, I struggled to my feet and saw even Thor had been knocked down by his own attack. We all surveyed the destruction around us with astonishment.

"Are we done here?" Captain America asked


	9. Chapter 9

It wasn't until we were back on the helicarrier did I feel a small weight lift from my shoulders. There was still a lot to do and the Tesseract's whereabouts was still unknown, but just knowing Loki was currently being placed in a secure jail cell was enough to ease some of the tension from my mind.

"Yeah, we got him," I said to Daniel. I had my phone wedged between my ear and shoulder as I collapsed my suit back down into a case and secured it in the weapons room. "But the object is still missing and I doubt this guy is going to talk."

"Wait, wait, wait, go back. You finally told your dad? About everything? Your job, the suit?"

"I didn't tell him so much as showed him. But yeah, he knows everything now." I sighed as I leant against a locker and slid down to the floor.

"How did he take it?" he asked.

"As you would expect. He's furious."

"Well at least it's all out in the open now. No more secrets."

"Yeah I guess. I have to go talk to him about it now. I doubt he's going to understand, or even listen to my reasons for doing what I've done. He's going to yell and then I'm going to yell."

"Then you need to make him listen. You're the only person who can make him understand your actions. You got me to understand and accept it."

"Yes, but you are a rational, sane person. And I didn't steal your designs for an 'iron' suit."

"You didn't steal anything. You helped him build his first suit when he came back from Afghanistan. That design is as much yours as it is his."

"Thanks but he's not going to see it that way." I sighed and leant my head back against the locker. "I miss you so much."

"I miss you too. Eating pizza in my pyjamas on the couch just isn't the same without you." I smiled as I pictured our usual Friday night's together. There was nothing I enjoyed more than just lying by his side and listening to his heartbeat. Until Daniel, I had never found anyone I could be so comfortable around without saying a word.

"I love you," I said sincerely.

"I love you more," he replied.

I ended the call and pushed myself to my feet. Dad was waiting for an explanation and it's about time I told him everything. I exited the weapons room and roamed the halls in search of dad. As I passed the lab and saw Dr Banner still working inside, I was tempted to join him. I resisted the urge and kept walking.

"Your dad wants to talk to you." I spun around to see Natasha walking towards me. "He's in the conference room around the corner."

"Thanks Nat."

"Good luck," she called out over her shoulder.

"I'm gunna need it," I muttered under my breath. I stood in front of the conference room door for a few minutes, trying to prepare a speech in my mind. It was useless, he was going to be pissed no matter what I said.

The last time I had been this nervous was 4 months ago on my very first mission.

* * *

_What the fuck am I doing?_

_This was the only thought running through my head. I was way out of my league. It was one thing to train for mission and imagine doing them in my head. It was another thing entirely to actually be doing one. What if I fucked it up? Say or do the wrong thing and blow the entire mission?_

_I thought I'd gotten over my worries and concerns about S.H.I.E.L.D hiring me. They didn't make a mistake. They chose you. They wouldn't have put you out into the field if they thought you weren't ready for this._

_I repeated these mantas in my head as my eyes scanned the crowded pub. It was a Friday night in London and the pub was bustling with people getting a drink after finishing work. I was perched on a stool at the end of the bar, trying to ignore the many lusting gazes I was receiving thanks to my revealing attire. I had to ball my hands into fists to stop myself from pulling up the neckline of the skin tight red dress I was wearing. I hated having to dress so provocatively but for this mission it was necessary._

_The target hadn't arrived yet, but he would. Every Friday night he goes to this bar to drink._

_"Relax Morgan. You look too tense," Natasha said, her voice coming through the tiny, undetectable piece in my ear. I locked eyes with her briefly across the room. She was sipping a vodka tonic at a table in the corner. "What did you tell your dad?"_

_I leant back in my chair and tried to relax slightly. "I told him Daniel and I were holidaying in Hawaii," I mumbled._

_"He believed you?" She asked. "What if he asks for photos?"_

_"I'm a master at photoshop." My eyes were continually scanning the pub as we talked._

_"What if he checks your card activity?" Coulson asked. He was located in a car across the street, monitoring everyone who entered the pub._

_"Even if he can get past my security, he'll find a paper trail I created on my card. Flights, a hotel room, restaurant charges, thousands on shopping. Even a surfing lesson package."_

_Natasha chuckled. "Damn. That's impressive."_

_"That's why you hired me," I said with a slight smirk._

_"Target is approaching the location," Coulson alerted us from the street._

_My heart leapt up into my throat. This was it. We only had one shot at this._

_"You can do this." Natasha's voice was strong and confident._

_I just hoped she was right._   
_I pulled out my phone and put on a miserable expression as I scrolled through my texts._

_"He's inside," Natasha said, her eyes tracking his movement from her position in the corner._

_I watched out of the corner of my eye as he made his way to the bar. For a man in his late 40's, he wasn't too bad looking. He had short salt and pepper hair, a small amount of stubble on his face, and amazingly green eyes. Numerous women had stopped to stare at him as he had entered the pub._

_My mission was to get his attention, something I thought might take some time but I could tell the minute he spotted me sitting at the end of the bar. He smoothed out his jacket and sauntered over to where I sat._

_"I know this sounds like an incredibly cheesy one liner, but you are quiet easily the most beautiful woman in this place."_

_"I don't believe you, but thank you," I said in a British accent. I smiled to him but made sure the smile didn't reach my eyes._

_He sat down on the empty stool next to me. "What is troubling a gorgeous girl like you?"_

_2 compliments in 30 seconds. Damn, he was really laying it on thick._

_"My boyfriend, he…" I sniffled delicately. "He cheated on me."_

_He reached across to place a hand over mine on the bar. I looked up at him, tears shining in my eyes. "He is a fool to ever even think of cheating on a woman like you."_

_I wiped away a tear from my eye before gazing up at him. "I thought he was the one. I thought we would be together forever." I picked up my wineglass and quickly finished the glass. "I don't know what to do now."_

_"How about right now I buy you a drink, and you can figure the rest out later." As he smiled at me, his leg brushed up against mine under the bar. I nervously averted my gaze but nodded._

_"That would be nice," I said._

_We sat at the bar drinking and talking for over an hour. I have to admit, if I didn't know anything about this guy, he would seem very nice and genuine. But I knew everything about him._

_A week ago S.H.I.E.L.D had gotten word of a man in London planning to sell designs for a concussive bomb. It was small enough to be able to fit in the palm of your hand but it would let out a sonic blast so powerful that it would kill anyone within a 2 mile radius. We had our suspicions of who it was but we had no evidence. All of the designs for the bomb were on paper and contact with potential buyers was done off the grid so there was no way we could hack into his systems to get the evidence we needed to put him away. S.H.I.E.L.D needed someone to go undercover to either get the designs or a confession. My first thought was that Natasha would be the one to go undercover. She had the most experience and I hadn't been on a mission yet._

_But after searching through his internet history, it became clear he had a preference for very young blonde girls. So that's how I found myself sitting in a pub in London, flirting with a man who was more than twice my age and who had designed a weapon capable out taking out everyone on this block._

_Over the course of an hour he became increasingly flirtatious, his hands running along my arms, his leg rubbing against mine. I played along, blushing at his advances but subtly encouraging them too._

_Finally he invited me back to his apartment. I clutched his hand and leant on him as we walked through the streets. His hand was around my waist and kept wandering dangerously close to my ass. Even the thought of him touching me, let alone the actual act, made me want to throw up and take a shower. I snuggled in closer and buried most of my face into his chest as we walked so he couldn't see the grimace on my face._

_Natasha was following us on foot, keeping at least 200 meters behind us while Coulson was even further away as he trailed us in the car._

_My heart was pounding in my chest. Soon we would be completely alone in his apartment. What have I gotten myself into? I wanted to run away but as we entered the building and waited for the elevator, my feet wouldn't move._

_He became even more handsy in the elevator as we whizzed towards the top floor. His hands were now freely roaming all over my backside while he practically attacked my face with his mouth. As soon as this was over I was going to scrub every inch of my body and gargle a whole bottle of mouthwash._

_We stumbled out of the elevator and I took the opportunity to catch my breath as he fished out his keys and opened the door._

_I momentarily forgot about everything as I stepped inside. His apartment was stunning. It was large, spacious and beautifully decorated. But it was the floor to ceiling glass windows showing the dazzling London skyline that was the most impressive feature._

_"Your apartment is amazing," I said. He disappeared into the kitchen to grab some drinks. I wandered over to the windows and watched the people walking on the streets below._

_I spun around as I heard him exiting the kitchen. He didn't have drinks in his hands. Instead he had a gun, which he raised and aimed straight at me._

_"Did you really think I didn't know?" he said. "I knew they would send someone after me!"_

_I slowly raised my hands into the air. "What are you talking about? Please put the gun down." Fear and adrenaline were pumping through my veins._

_"You're with them!" he screamed. He stalked towards me, keeping the barrel of the gun level with my face._

_"Morgan I'm on my way," Natasha said, her voice coming through in puffs as she obviously sprinted towards our location. "Just keep him distracted until I get there!"_

_"Please," I said, my voice shaking in terror. "I'm not with anyone. I just want to go home." I kept my hands raised and ducked my head to avoid eye contact. I cowered in terror and played the part of the scared girl._

_"You're lying!" he screeched. "I saw that red-headed bitch in the bar. She was following us!"_

_"I don't know what you're talking about." I choked back a sob as he stepped closer. I was hoping that he would buy into my lies of not having a clue but he was either smart or just paranoid._

_He was now right in front of me, within reach. I needed to do something now, I couldn't wait for Natasha to come save me. I didn't have my gun on me. We'd decided it was too risky to stash one in my purse and since we'd assumed, correctly, that he would be all over me, we couldn't risk strapping one onto my body. I was going to have to take him down with just my hands. And if I failed, he'd shoot me. So, no pressure._

_Before he could react, I swung my hand up and knocked the gun out of his hand. It went skidding across the floor and disappeared under his couch. His now empty hand was still outstretched so I grabbed it and twisted with one hand. My other hand swiftly and forcefully came down on his arm and a sickening crack could be heard as the bone broke. His scream echoed through the apartment._

_A kick to the back of his knee sent him sprawling face first onto the floor. I placed my knee into the small of his back as I wretched his hands together behind his back. This elicited another scream as I pulled on his broken arm._

_The door behind me burst open and Natasha raced into the room. She grinned as she took in the scene before her. "Nice job."_

_I shrugged. "It was easy. He's nothing without his gun."_

_Natasha handed me a pair of handcuffs which I quickly placed around his wrists. "Bet this isn't what you had in mind for tonight. Or maybe it was," I said as I tightened the cuffs around his wrist with a smirk._

_After a quick search of his apartment we found a safe in his wardrobe. All it took was a little twisting of his arm, literally, to get the code. Inside we found both the plans for the bomb and the prototype he had been planning on selling. He then proceeded to confess to everything, even giving up the buyer._

_"Fantastic job," Coulson said to me as we scanned over the plans. "You're going to do great at S.H.I.E.L.D."_

* * *

That mission had gone so well and had given me the last bit of confirmation I'd needed to know I'd done the right thing by joining S.H.I.E.L.D. I need to remember that when I walk through those doors.

Rip the Band-Aid off. Just go in.

I opened the door and stepped inside. Dad was sitting at a small circular table by the window. He didn't say a word as I walked across the room and joined him at the table. That's how I knew he was really angry. I'd only ever seen him 'silent angry' one other time and that conversation had not been an easy one.

"Go ahead," I said.

"I don't even know where to start." He literally looked lost for words but I knew once I started talking he would certainly have a lot of things to say. "This whole time you've been working for S.H.I.E.L.D as an agent?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you freaked out when I first told you I was going to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. I knew you'd be furious if you knew I was training to be an agent so I just told you I was going to be a research analysist."

"So you're not a research analysist."

"I am. I've been conducting research on the Tesseract with Selvig when I haven't been away on missions." I knew as soon as the word came out of my mouth I'd made a mistake.

" _Missions_? You go away on missions?"

"Yes dad. Sometimes I go on missions for S.H.I.E.L.D."

I saw the wheels turning in his mind. "All those times you went away with Daniel, you were actually on missions weren't you?"

"…yes."

"Are you crazy Morgan? Are you trying to get yourself killed? You're lucky you haven't already!"

"It's not luck Dad! Do you honestly think they'd send me out into the field if I wasn't prepared for it? They've been training me from day 1. I can handle myself. Natasha trained me herself and she trusts me with her life."

The expression on dad's face clearly showed that he didn't believe me.

"See! That right there is why I never told you!" I yelled as I gestured to his face. "You still see me as 5 year old kid that needs her daddy's protection! I know I may only be 18 but I've grown up more than you realise. You just don't see it. Last month I single handedly took out an armed suspect in Moscow with my bare hands. And I know that scares you, but it excites me. It says I've done the job that I've been hired and trained to do. It shows me that I can help people by stopping bad people doing bad things. And isn't that exactly why you put on the Iron Man suit and fly around the world? Why are you allowed to go out there and risk your life to help people but I can't?"

"If something happens to you-" he began.

"And now you know how I feel." I said. "Ever since you made the suit and started putting your life in danger every day, I've been sick to my stomach with worry. I'm scared every time you fly away that I won't see you again. I hate feeling like that but I trust you, which is why I don't beg you not to go. I just wish you would give me the same trust."

"How am I supposed to trust you when you go behind my back and make a suit!" he retaliated. "Why did you make a suit? Did S.H.I.E.L.D ask you to?"

"Yes they did," I said. "Don't you remember dad? They wanted the Iron Man suit, just not you in it."

"So they want a teenage girl in it instead?"

"No, they want someone smart, mature and responsible. You are only one of those things."

"Well if they have you and your suit, why did they call me in now?"

"Because the consequences of what would happen if we fail are more important than personal conflicts and worrying about if you're responsible enough. And don't think S.H.I.E.L.D was the only reason I made my suit. I was planning on making my own long before S.H.I.E.L.D ever approached me."

"What? Why?"

"Why?! So I could protect myself."

"You don't need a suit for protection. I will protect you."

"I'm sorry, have you been paying attention recently?" I asked with sarcasm. "Because you've done a really shitting job of protecting me. You've been sprouting off that line ever since you made the suit and yet I've almost died twice in the past two years! I'm not blaming you for what happened to me but I can't always rely on you to be there for me in time. I don't  _want_  to have to rely on you. I want to be able to protect myself. After Obadiah and Ivan I wasn't just going to twiddle my thumbs and wait around for the next crazy guy to attack us."

Bringing up the attacks was a low blow as I could see the pain in his eyes when I mentioned them. He still blamed himself for every cut, bruise and broken bone I suffered. But I thought after Ivan's attack he might realise he couldn't always protect me.

"I don't sit around at night anymore worrying about what might happen when the next person who wants revenge on you comes along. I'm not jumping at every sound in the house or a car backfiring on the street. Having a suit of my own means I can defend and protect myself. Not only that, I can protect other people." I sighed and leant back against the chair. "And for the first time in a long time Dad, I'm really happy."

It seemed liked for the first time in the conversation, something I'd said had finally made an impact. 'I'm really happy'. Those three words seemed to deflate all of the anger out of him. He still obviously wasn't thrilled but knowing how happy I was seemed to make all the difference.

"You still did all of this behind my back," he said in a defeated voice.

"I know, and I hate that I did that but I felt like I couldn't talk to you. I didn't think you would understand."

"I'm trying to understand. It's going to take time."

"I know." I hadn't expected him to suddenly just be okay with everything with just one conversation. I knew it was going to take time. I was just relieved he was actually trying to come to terms with this and not just demanding that I give it all up.

"Morgan, I want you to be able to talk about anything with me." Hearing those words took me straight back to my childhood. He always used to tell me to talk about anything I wanted. At times I used to think he was overcompensating because I didn't have a mother to talk to. He wanted to make sure I knew I could talk to him about anything, even the girly stuff like periods and having fights with friends.

"I promise I will from now on," I replied emphatically.

He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Any other surprises I should know about?"

"Yeah, I'm pregnant." I swear I could hear his heart skip a beat as his eyebrows shot up. "Too soon for jokes?"

"Are you trying to give your old man a heart attack?" he asked facetiously.

I let out a huff of laughter. It felt good to be back to joking with him. We weren't back to normal yet but I knew we would get there. I felt the weight lift off of my shoulders and the sinking in my gut disappearing. But they quickly returned when he asked his next question.

"Morgan…I have to ask. Have you killed anyone?"

The ghost of the smile that had been on my face dropped instantly. I hated that he asked it but it was a reasonable question to ask. Working for an intelligence agency that deals with criminals, terrorists, and murderers on a daily basis unfortunately meant that deadly force sometimes had to be used.

"No, I haven't." Did he think I was capable of that? Did he think it was a decision I would have made lightly? "It's something I have been struggling with since joining S.H.I.E.L.D. I don't want to but I'm worried one day I'm going to be put in a position where I have to."

This was a conversation I'd had with Daniel multiple times. He'd pointed out there was a difference between cold blooded murder and self-defence but to me the end result was the same; a life was gone. I'd been fortunate enough so far in the field that all potentially deadly situations I'd managed to diffuse without using deadly force. But I knew one day that it wouldn't be enough. One day I'd have to kill someone to save myself or someone else. Would the knowledge that it was self-defence be enough? For me, I didn't think it would be. Regardless of the reasons, I'd still have someone else's blood on my hands and I knew that it would weigh heavily on me, potentially for the rest of my life.

"I've killed people," dad said. The first person he'd ever killed was in Afghanistan while being held hostage. It was something we never spoke about. "And even knowing that they were bad guys, it still takes its toll. It changes you and not for the better. I don't want to see it change you."

"I know you don't dad. But I can't promise it's never going to happen. If and when it does, I hope it doesn't change the way you see me."

He reached across the table to cover one of my hands with his own. "Nothing will change the way I see you." It was nice of him to say but I wondered if it was true.

The communication device on my wrist went off. I quickly checked the message.

"Natasha wants us on the bridge."


End file.
